WALES

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Stephen Crabb: None.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Arrest Warrants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU arrest warrant in enabling the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue suspected criminals who have absconded overseas.

Oliver Heald: The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) came into force on 1 January 2004, and has been a very effective tool for prosecutors to return accused or convicted criminals to the United Kingdom. Last year, the United Kingdom issued 221 EAW requests and 86 individuals were extradited back to the UK. Between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2012, a total of 652 individuals were extradited to the United Kingdom.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by the Law Officers' Departments.

Oliver Heald: The Serious Fraud Office's total occupancy costs in 2011-12 were £4,353,584. This includes rent, rates, service charge, maintenance, security, cleaning and utilities.
	The Attorney-General's Office occupy one building, 20 Victoria Street. This office is shared with The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) who occupy 21.38% of the building.
	The AGO's total occupancy costs are £831,003. This includes rent, rates, maintenance, security guards, cleaning and utilities.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has a total estate of 79 premises of which 68 are occupied and 11 vacant or sublet. A table containing the occupancy costs incurred in each building by the CPS has been deposited in the Library of the House. A small number of CPS staff also use space in other premises such as police stations and courts and where no commercial agreement is held by the CPS. Such properties are not included in the table.
	In 2011-12 the total net occupation costs for each property leased by TSol and HMCPSI were as follows, calculated as the sum of rent, rates, service charge, repair and maintenance, security, cleaning and utilities:
	
		
			  £ 
			 One Kemble Street, London 4,569,891 
			 Southern House, Croydon 120,175 
			 United House, York 0 
		
	
	In addition, TSol is also the inherited landlord on a building in Taunton although no TSol staff use the premises. The net occupation costs are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Riverside Chambers, Taunton 295,565 
			  £

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by the Law Officers' Departments.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Department Floor space m(2) Floor space per full-time equivalent (FTE) post m(2) 
			 Attorney-General's Office 909.80 21.72 
			 Serious Fraud Office 3,196 9.64 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 118,873 15.73 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol)(1) 7,731 9.60 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 286 8.17 
			 (1) TSol also occupy 507.25 m(2) of Southern House, Croydon, at 8.45 m(2) per FTE. A number of TSol staff are also located in other Government buildings where they provide legal advice to Departments based there. This response does not cover these buildings.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of the Law Officers' Departments; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Law Officers' Departments, (b) leased by the Law Officers' Departments and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Oliver Heald: The Attorney-General's Office are based at 20 Victoria Street, London. The property is leased. The lease expires on 25 December 2016. The total floor space for the building is 1157.2 m(2).
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) currently uses part of one building in Cockspur Street, London. The SFO leases the second, third and fourth floors and some basement areas only. The lease ends on 24 March 2017. The total floor space occupied by the SFO is 3,196 m(2).
	Officials of TSol use the following buildings.
	One Kemble Street London WC2B 4TS
	1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ
	2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH
	9 Millbank c/o 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR
	Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT
	Southern House Wellesley Grove, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1DY
	TSol leases Floors 4-15 of CAA House (One Kemble Street), from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and a part floor (507.25 sq metres) of Southern House, Croydon. Neither building is subject to a Private Finance Initiative agreement. Floor 4 of CAA House is also sub-let to HMCPSI under a Memorandum of Terms of Occupation (MOTO) agreement. The existing lease agreement with CAA is due to expire in 24 December 2019 and the total floor space is 11,117.52 sq metres. The existing lease agreement for Southern House is due to expire on 23 July 2020 and the total floor space occupied by is 18,019 sq metres.
	A number of TSol staff are co-located at 1 Horse Guards Road, 2-4 Cockspur Street, 9 Millbank and Great Smith Street where they provide legal advice to Departments based there. The total floor space for these properties is not included in this response.
	TSol is also the inherited landlord of a building in Taunton although no TSol staff use these premises. The lease expires in March 2016 and the total floor space is 2,801 sq metres.
	Officials from HMCPSI also occupy United House, Piccadilly, York, North Yorkshire YO1 9PQ, details of which are covered in the data provided by the CPS.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) occupies 68 premises. Of these three are owned, 57 are commercial leases and nine are MOTO/Licences with other public bodies (one property is subject to both a lease and a MOTO). The full details are contained in a table that has been deposited in the Library of the House.
	In addition to properties owned and leased by the CPS the Schedule details those properties that are vacant and those used by the CPS via an agreement with another Government Department or public body. Such arrangements are covered by MOTO agreements and licences. The CPS has seven MOTO agreements in place and two licences with other public sector bodies. The CPS has no property holdings under a private finance initiative agreement. However, some properties held under a MOTO or license may be subject to a private finance initiative agreement where these have been agreed by the major occupying Department or public body.
	Where the lease has expired on a property but the CPS is still occupying it, the terms of occupation are recorded as “holding over”.
	The floor space for each property held via a commercial agreement is calculated using the Agents Letting Area (ALA) unless otherwise stated. ALA depicts the space occupied under terms of the lease agreement and as such usually excludes any common areas such as lift lobbies and any shared facilities such as reception space.

Children: Abuse

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 696W, on children: abuse, what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the Director of Public Prosecution's recommendations in his responses to the Rochdale and Jimmy Savile child abuse cases; and how that cost will be met.

Oliver Heald: The Director of Public Prosecution's recommendations in his responses to the Rochdale and Jimmy Savile child abuse cases have been incorporated into the Department's operational business plans. The current estimate for any additional costs is minimal.
	Child abuse prosecutions are not separately funded but form part of the overall resource allocation process. This expenditure will remain a priority in the future.
	In accordance with best practice the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Board will continue to regularly review operational and financial plans and, where there is need, adjust resource allocation to deal with new pressures and priorities.

Crown Prosecution Service: Information Officers

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many press officers are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) each region and (b) its London headquarters.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) employs six press officers in its London Headquarters and one press officer in its London Area. There are also a number of other communications staff in the Areas, of which 15 members of staff have some responsibility for press work as part of their wider communications work including internal and corporate communication and community engagement.
	The following table shows the locations of press officers and staff with some responsibility for press work among other communication and engagement work. A number of these staff are employed as part of job shares, or on a part-time basis so the figures should not be read as full-time posts. The figures do not include those on long-term secondment elsewhere or those on maternity leave at the time of counting.
	
		
			 31 December 2012 
			 Area Press officer Communication staff with some regional responsibility for press work among other communication and engagement work 
			 HQ 6 0 
			 London 1 1 
			 Wales 0 1 
			 East Midlands 0 1 
			 Eastern 0 2 
			 Mersey Cheshire 0 1 
			 North East 0 1 
			 North West 0 1 
			 South East 0 1 
			 South West 0 1 
			 Thames and Chiltern 0 1 
			 Wessex 0 1 
			 West Midlands 0 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 0 2 
			 Total 7 15

Crown Prosecution Service: Interpreters

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of interpreters used by Crown Prosecution Service witness care units in (a) Lancashire, (b) Staffordshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) the West Midlands were provided by Capita TI since September 2012.

Oliver Heald: Records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are not sufficiently detailed to calculate the proportion of interpreters used by witness care units in Lancashire, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands provided by Capita TI since September 2012.
	However, the proportion of interpreters used by the CPS between September 2012 and December 2012 in North West area, West Midlands area and Yorkshire and Humberside area provided by Capita TI was 56%.

Departmental Responsibilities

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what the Law Officers' Departments' core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation;
	(2)  if he will estimate the Law Officers' Departments total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Oliver Heald: The Attorney-General has many functions, not all of which are statutory. One such function is as the principal legal adviser to the Government and Parliament. Core statutory obligations include the superintendence of the Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. He has numerous other statutory obligations of a public interest nature, such as consents to the prosecution of certain offences, intervention in certain kinds of civil cases and references to the Court of Appeal. He also holds office as Advocate-General for Northern Ireland.
	The Treasury Solicitor's Departments principal functions are to conduct litigation on behalf of the Crown (in its executive capacity as the Government) and to advise the Government on legal issues. In addition TSol also acts as the Queen's Proctor and is empowered to Act for the Crown in bona vacantia matters.
	The Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) core statutory obligation is to prosecute criminal cases investigated by the police and other law enforcement agencies in England and Wales.
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was constituted by the Criminal Justice Act (1987) which sets out its core functions. The Act has been amended by other legislation, notably the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (2008),
	HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate's core statutory obligation is to inspect or arrange for the inspection of the operation of the Crown Prosecution Service, report to the Attorney-General on any matter connected with the operation of the Service which the Attorney-General refers to him, and submit an annual report to the Attorney-General on the operation of the Service.
	All staff in the Law Officers' Departments are directly involved in fulfilling their Departments minimum statutory obligations.
	The Law Officers' Departments accounting systems do not hold financial data by statutory obligation and such information could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold. Information on outturn and spending plans for all Departments is outlined in Departmental Annual Report and Accounts for 2011-12 which have all been laid before Parliament and are available in the Library of the House.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Attorney-General how much surplus food was thrown away by the Law Officers' Departments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Oliver Heald: None of the Law Officers Departments keep any records of how much surplus food is wasted, although offices try to keep waste to a minimum where there are onsite catering facilities.

GPT

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the Serious Fraud Office to conclude its investigation into allegations concerning GPT Special Project Management Ltd.

Oliver Heald: The director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) decided to open a criminal investigation into allegations concerning GPT and aspects of the conduct of their business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 7 August 2012. This was announced on that day on the SFO website at:
	http://www.sfo.gov.uk/our-work/our-cases/case-progress/gpt-special-project-management-ltd.aspx
	The investigation continues, and the SFO are actively pursuing a number of lines of inquiry. As with all cases involving allegations of serious or complex fraud, it will inevitably take some time for the investigation to conclude, and the precise length cannot be estimated.

Information Officers

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many press officers were employed by the Law Officers' Departments in each year since 2010.

Oliver Heald: The following table shows the number of press officers employed by the Law Officers departments for the previous three financial years, with an update as of December 2012.
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 December 2012 
			 Attorney-General's Office 3 3 3 3 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 1 1 (1)— (1)— 
			 Crown Prosecution Service(2) 9 7 6 7 
			 Serious Fraud Office 2 2 3 2 
			 (1) Shared with AGO. (2) The CPS data does not include 15 regional communications staff with some local responsibility for press work among other communication and engagement work.

Islam

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the draft guidelines issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions on social media crimes in preventing Islamophobia online; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) views all religious and racist crime seriously as it has a real and lasting effect on individuals, communities and society as a whole. Interim guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media were issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in December 2012, and they are intended to help prosecutors when considering cases referred to them by the police for a prosecution decision. The religiously aggravated element of any offence is a relevant consideration in the interim guidelines and prosecutors should follow the approach set out in the guidelines when dealing with such cases.

Meat: Labelling

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service made for offences related to the mislabelling of meat products in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Oliver Heald: Prosecutions for the mislabelling of meat products would fall within the remit of local authority environmental health or trading standards departments. As such, the CPS has not prosecuted any cases related to the mislabelling of meat products in either 2011 or 2012.

Minimum Wage: Prosecutions

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Attorney-General what the Crown Prosecution Service’s policy is on prosecuting employers who fail to pay the national minimum wage to their employees.

Oliver Heald: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has responsibility for the law, compliance and enforcement policy in relation to the national minimum wage. BIS has appointed Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to enforce the national minimum wage on their behalf. The current enforcement policy was published in June 2012.
	Where a case is referred following a criminal investigation conducted by HMRC, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decides whether to prosecute applying the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors: namely whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction; and if so, whether prosecution is needed in the public interest. In assessing where the public interest lies, the CPS would expect to consult HMRC and take into account any enforcement policy applied by HMRC among other relevant considerations.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  for what reasons the Crown Prosecution Service does not record the numbers of cases referred to it by the police for offences other than rape and human-trafficking;
	(2)  whether the Crown Prosecution Service plans to record the numbers of cases referred to it by the police for offences other than rape and human trafficking.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has no plans to record the numbers of cases referred to it by the police for offences other than rape and human trafficking.
	Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records identify the number of suspects referred to the CPS for a charging decision through its electronic Case Management System (CMS) and are extracted through the related Management Information Systems (MIS) database. It is not possible to disaggregate figures to show separately the volumes of charging decisions for each individual offence, but some limited information may be abstracted where a national monitoring flag has been applied by a member of staff. Monitoring flags for rape and human trafficking are applied to a range of individual statutory offences which the CPS categorise under those headings. It is not possible to disaggregate figures to show separately the volumes of charging decisions for each individual offence on these lists.
	In addition to these monitoring flags, designed to capture and report statistics on specific sets of offences, there are a number of flags which indicate the type of criminality rather than the actual offence alleged to have been committed. These flags comprise:
	Child abuse;
	Crimes against an older person;
	Disability hate crime;
	Domestic violence;
	Forced marriage;
	Homophobic and transphobic hate crime;
	Honour crime;
	Racist hate crime;
	Religious hate crime.
	The CPS collects data to assist in the effective management of its prosecution functions. There has not previously been a business need to know the number of each separate offence referred to the CPS for advice by the police. The CPS does not collect data that constitutes official statistics as defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The official statistics relating to crime and policing are maintained by the Home Office (HO) and the official statistics relating to sentencing, criminal court proceedings, offenders brought to justice, the courts and the judiciary are maintained by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the policy of the Crown Prosecution Service is on informing complainants of the judgment made following an application of no case to answer at the end of the Crown's case.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is not directly responsible for informing complainants of judgments made by the court following an application of no case to answer. Complainants are, however, notified of the outcome of the case (whether or not the application is successful) by the joint police/CPS Witness Care Units.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Attorney-General how many and which regulations the Law Officers’ Departments have repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Oliver Heald: None.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Attorney-General how many regulations the Law Officers' Departments introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; if he will list those regulations; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of their introduction.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Department Date laid before Parliament Title of regulation/order Publication cost (£ inc. VAT) 
			 AGO 26 June 2012 The Prosecution of-Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment) Order 2012 316 
			 AGO 10 August 2012 The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2012 316 
			 AGO 26 October 2012 The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment .No. 3) Order 2012 316 
		
	
	No record is kept of the costs incurred by departmental officials in preparing these orders and such information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Schengen Agreement

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the utility of the Schengen information database for UK prosecutors in bringing suspected criminals overseas to justice.

Oliver Heald: When the Schengen Information System becomes operational in the UK it will be for the use of law enforcement officers. UK prosecutors will not have access to the database.

Sentencing: Females

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of the cases that he (a) was referred and (b) took up regarding unduly lenient sentences related to female offenders in the latest period for which figures are available.

Oliver Heald: The total number of cases received in 2012 (by offender), that the Attorney-General and I considered was 344. Of those, 34 were female offenders, that is, 10%.
	Five of the female offenders were referred to the Court of Appeal out of 88 offenders in total (including those subsequently withdrawn). Therefore, 5.7% of the total number of offenders whose sentences were referred to the Court were female.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on what dates (a) he and (b) the Solicitor-General discussed unauthorised payments made to members of staff at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) with the director of the SFO in the last year; and what was discussed on each such occasion.

Dominic Grieve: The current director, David Green CB QC, took up office at the end of April 2012. He learned of the payments in May and immediately notified my office. The Solicitor-General and I discussed the payments with the current director oh 2 July, 1 August, 24 October, 28 November 2012 and 9 January 2013. These were occasions on which the director communicated to us the amounts, recipients and circumstances of the payments made; the steps taken by the SFO to investigate the circumstances of the payments and whether it would be possible to reclaim the money; and the treatment of those payments in the SFO's annual accounts. We also discussed the steps to be taken to disclose as much information as possible, and as quickly as possible, to Parliament.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  how many legal opinions he has sought on the recoverability of the unauthorised payments made to staff leaving the Serious Fraud Office in 2012;
	(2)  on what basis and by whom was it decided that the unauthorised severance payout to the Serious Fraud Office's former chief operating officer, Christian Bailes, could not be recovered; and by which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Law Officers' Departments was that decision ratified.

Dominic Grieve: As set out in my written statement of 4 December 2012, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, and as I told the House on 8 January 2013, Official Report, columns 152-53, the SFO's current director obtained clear legal advice that the agreements, while entered into without the necessary approvals, were binding on the SFO. The position is set out on page 31 of the Serious Fraud Office's (SFO's) annual accounts for 2011-12.
	The director informed me of the legal advice he had received on 2 July 2012 and of his decision not to seek retrospective approval for the payments which had not been properly authorised.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  which consultancies with a relationship with the Serious Fraud Office were the subject of Sir Alex Allan's review;
	(2)  whether members of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) staff were (a) criticised and (b) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of Sir Alex Allan's review of the SFO's use of consultants;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 510W, on Serious Fraud Office, what the nature was of the allegations made by some members of staff referred to in the answer;
	(4)  when he will publish (a) the independent report commissioned by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director, David Green, into unauthorised severance payments for staff departing from that agency and (b) Sir Alex Allan's report on the SFO's use of consultants.

Dominic Grieve: As I have already made clear, all of these questions raise legal issues. I accept that there is a clear public interest in the content of both reports being made fully available to Parliament as soon as possible, and I am taking steps to enable me to do so.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has contracts with any of the consultancies whose relationships with the SFO were the subject of Sir Alex Allan's review.

Dominic Grieve: The SFO has not engaged any of the consultancies mentioned in the report in this financial year.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General if he will give public notification of each occasion on which the Serious Fraud Office requests additional funding from HM Treasury.

Dominic Grieve: It would not be possible to do this without the risk of prejudice to the success of the Office' s operations.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 696W, on Serious Fraud Office: funding, how exceptionally large Serious Fraud Office cases can be resourced in instances where HM Treasury declines a request for funding from the Reserve.

Dominic Grieve: The Government is clear that the Serious Fraud Office must not be in a position that lack of resources prevents it from conducting an investigation where the public interest, which is determined by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, demands one.

Sexual Offences: Counselling

Robert Flello: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) victims and (b) witnesses in sexual assault cases who gave evidence in court in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 were advised by the Crown Prosecution Service not to receive counselling.

Oliver Heald: Advice by the Crown Prosecution Service on the decision whether witnesses receive counselling has been available since 2001. The guidance: “Provision of therapy for Vulnerable or Intimidated Adult Witnesses prior to a criminal trial” and “Provision of therapy for Child Witnesses prior to a criminal trial”, was endorsed by the Home Office, Department of Health and the Attorney-General’s Office and is available on the CPS website at:
	www.cps.gov.uk
	Whether a victim or witness should receive therapy before a criminal trial is not a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Such decisions can only be taken by the victim or witness or his or her carer, in conjunction with the professionals from the agencies providing a service to the victim or witness or with responsibility for the victim or witness’s welfare. The best interests of the victim or witness, whether an adult or child, are paramount in decisions about the provision of therapy before the criminal trial.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff were employed by the Law Officers' Departments in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed.

Oliver Heald: The following tables contain details of the number of staff in post in the Law Officers' Departments at each grade during the past five years on 31 March.
	
		
			 Serious Fraud Office 
			 Grade 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 
			 AO 30 31 32 31 42 
			 EO 80 79 94 89 82 
			 HEO 53 55 44 54 46 
			 SEO 47 42 48 40 36 
			 Grade 7 58 54 49 53 56 
			 Grade 6 26 31 34 29 32 
			 SCS 12 9 11 12 13 
			 Total 306 301 312 308 307 
		
	
	
		
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 
			 Grade1 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 
			 AO 3 3 5 6 6 
			 EO 6 7 7 8 10 
			 HEO 3 3 4 3 4 
			 SEO 2 2 1 2 1 
			 Grade 7 9 7 10 5 8 
			 Grade 6 8 10 9 11 12 
			 SCS 3 2 4 3 3 
			 Total 34 34 40 38 44 
		
	
	
		
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol)(1) 
			 Grade 2012 2011 2010 2009 
			 AA/AO 108 101 119 114 
			 EO 138 131 107 116 
			 HEO/SEO 98 104 127 107 
			 Grade 6/7 614 533 510 451 
			 SCS 76 70 80 82 
			 Total (2)1,034 939 943 870 
			 (1) TSol data also covers staff at the Attorney-General's Office. Data is not available in this form for 2008 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. (2) The DEFRA legal team was absorbed into TSol in September 2011. 
		
	
	
		
			 Crown Prosecution Service 
			 CPS grade CS equivalent grade 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 
			 A1 AA 126 179 260 335 755 
			 A2 AO 1,726 1,864 2,280 2,256 1,914 
			 Paralegal Assistant AO 235 240 — — — 
			 B1 EO 825 1,000 1,849 1,777 1,809 
			 Paralegal Officer EO 775 720 — — — 
			 Legal Trainee EO 1 4 0 0 0 
			 B2 HEO 270 339 447 411 837 
			 Paralegal Business Manager HEO 70 74 — — — 
			 Associate Prosecutor HEO 435 452 466 447 — 
			 B3 SEO 136 161 186 157 127 
			 Crown Prosecutor SEO 21 55 80 107 120 
			 Senior Crown Prosecutor G7 1,639 1,608 1,643 1,662 1,855 
			 Crown Advocate G7 651 876 880 853 538 
			 Senior Legal Advisor G7 — — — — — 
			 Specialist Prosecutor G7 127 — — — — 
			 Band D G7 336 415 453 426 467 
			 Band E G6 155 171 199 146 146 
			 Senior Crown Advocate G6 39 36 42 28 10 
			 Principal Crown Advocate G6 14 15 10 6 5 
			 Chief Crown Prosecutor and SLM SCS 54 54 50 49 52 
			 SCS (inc. G1 Perm Secretary) SCS 13 19 37 33 30 
			 Total  7,648 8,282 8,882 8,693 8,665

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Department 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department(1) 521,379 371,115 
			 Attorney-General's Office(1) 10,572 6,149 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate(1) 15,293 4,597 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 1,978,841 948,749 
			 Serious Fraud Office 248,412 191,284 
			 (1) These figures cover expenditure on training and education by external suppliers only. Staff costs relating to TSol internal training is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Drinking Water

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, from which companies the House of Commons has procured water coolers in the last five years.

John Thurso: The House of Commons Service has held contracts for water coolers with the following suppliers: Culligan International UK Ltd, Eden Springs UK Ltd, Freshwater Coolers plc, Lomond Hills Water Co. trading as PowWow, Maestro International, Mountain Spring Ltd, Wild About Water and Wye Spring Water (Trading) Ltd. The only current contract to supply water coolers to the House of Commons Service is held by Maestro International utilising the ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation) framework contract 988. Individual Members' offices and third party users of the Estate may use alternative suppliers for their own water coolers. These arrangements would be a matter for those concerned.

Hays

John Spellar: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Service paid Hays in the last 12 months; and how much was paid to Hays in that period to advertise for positions in the House Service.

John Thurso: For the period February 2012 to January 2013, Hays received payments totalling £312,166, to provide recruitment administration and a website for 84 recruitment campaigns. Of this £164,000 was spent on recruitment advertising.

DEFENCE

Basing Decisions: Portsmouth

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effects on local employment of the decision to base HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales in Portsmouth.

Philip Dunne: The baseporting of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, along with other significant elements of the Surface Fleet, will sustain thousands of jobs providing direct support to the ships as well as infrastructure and engineering services at the Naval Base. These services include surface warship Fleet Time Engineering, waterfront and logistics support, estates management and management services.
	Preparing Portsmouth for the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers will also involve significant new investment in the Naval Base, including the dredging of the harbour and its approach, the strengthening of jetties, installing new power supplies and other infrastructure changes. The contracting process for this infrastructure work is at an early stage and no tenders have yet been issued. It is therefore too early to say how many jobs this work will create or sustain in the Portsmouth area as this will be influenced by which company wins each contract. On current plans, we expect to begin the tendering process around the middle of this year.
	The first of class, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is currently expected to arrive in Portsmouth in 2016.

Arctic Convoys: Medal

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made on the awarding of an Arctic convoy star medal to veterans of the second world war Arctic convoys.

Mark Francois: Considerable progress has been made since the Prime Minister’s announcement on the introduction of the Arctic Star. I hope to be able to make an announcement on the design, eligibility criteria and application process for this new award very shortly. Similarly, I also hope to make an announcement about the Bomber Command clasp at the same time.

Afghanistan: Equipment Recovery

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the process will be for deciding which vehicles, equipment and other material will be recovered from Afghanistan in the run-up to the end of combat operations.

Philip Hammond: Redeployment is occurring alongside transition of combat operations to the Afghan national security forces. Equipment and materiel will only be redeployed from Afghanistan once operational commanders are content that it is no longer required.
	Planning assumes that equipment and materiel will be redeployed steadily and broadly correlated with the number of service personnel deployed to Afghanistan and with the needs of our allies.
	We plan to return all undamaged vehicles and major equipments. Where other equipment and materiel is identified as surplus, a cross defence committee will recommend whether to gift, sell, destroy or redeploy it while considering the best value for money for the UK taxpayer, operational priority and security.

Libya

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support he is providing to sustain peace in Libya.

Andrew Murrison: The UK regards Libya as a high priority in its Defence Engagement Strategy and stands ready to help in any way it can. We have already provided a great deal of assistance, ensuring that it is always driven by expressed Libyan needs, including, in the security field, a defence advisory team, a defence reform adviser, a border security adviser and a disarmament programme manager, together with military professional training and education in the UK.

Libya

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service and civilian personnel are assigned to the defence advisory team in Libya; and what the cost of the defence advisory team to the public purse is.

Andrew Murrison: There are currently seven military and three civilian advisors assigned to the Defence Advisory Team in Libya. The cost to the public purse to date for defence assistance has been approximately £2.0 million in this financial year.

Advisory Committee On Conscientious Objectors

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors was in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Mark Francois: holding answer 12 February 2013
	The cost of the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors for 2010-11 was £669.97.
	An appeal was heard on 17 December 2010 by the chairman and two ordinary members. The chairman did not receive any payment as he was a salaried judge. The members received £200 each, plus expenses totalling £269.97. The secretariat support was provided by staff from the Ministry of Defence's Central Legal Services at no extra cost.
	There was no expenditure for 2011-12.

Advisory Committee On Conscientious Objectors

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases were dealt with by the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Mark Francois: holding answer 13 February 2013
	There was one case dealt with by the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors (ACCO) in 2010-11, the hearing for which was held on 17 December 2010. The ACCO advised that the claim for conscientious objector status was not made out.
	There were no cases dealt with in 2011-12.

Afghanistan

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of military operations in Afghanistan is in financial year 2013-14.

Andrew Robathan: Estimates for the net additional cost of military operations in Afghanistan for financial year 2013-14 are currently being compiled, and will be published in the Ministry of Defence's Main Estimates for that year.

Air Force: Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the RAF website has not published a monthly operational update of its work since September 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The RAF website has been updated since September 2012. The most recent monthly operations update is 1 February 2013 and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/ops-update-01-feb-2013-08022013

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2012 to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Official Report, columns 1074-5W, on armed forces: sexual offences, what investigations his Department has conducted into historic incidents of rape and sexual abuse since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not treat historic incidents of rape and sexual assault as a separate category and this information is therefore, not available.

Babcock International

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of each contract Babcock International has with his Department.

Philip Dunne: In line with the Government’s ‘Transparency’ agenda, since January 2011, the Ministry of Defence has published details of all new non-exempt contracts it has awarded with an expected value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder, available at the following link:
	https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department;
	(2)  how many staff are based in each property used by his Department;
	(3)  what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department;
	(4)  what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Mark Francois: While the Ministry of Defence centrally maintains details of its many thousands of property assets in the UK and overseas, all of the requested information for each could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	An Infrastructure Management System is currently being developed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation that will assist in the more effective management of the Defence estate by providing better information about built and infrastructure assets.

Consultants

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on professional services in each of the last five years.

Mark Francois: Expenditure on professional fees is published each year in the Ministry of Defence annual report.
	For ease of reference they are reproduced in the following table, which shows a 34% reduction in spend between 2007-08 and 2011-12.
	
		
			 £000 
			 Financial year Administration costs Programme costs Total 
			 2007-08 470,748 470,748 
			 2008-09 171,851 219,096 390,947 
			 2009-10 140,763 167,541 308,304 
			 2010-11 104,336 211,280 315,616 
			 2011-12(1) 18,316 290,144 308,460 
			 (1) From financial year 2011-12 a revised split between administration costs and programme costs was agreed with HM Treasury.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department is signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme;
	(2)  who his Department's cycling champion is;
	(3)  what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee.

Mark Francois: Although the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not participate in the Cycle to Work (C2W) scheme, it encourages greater cycle use with equivalent schemes, one for service personnel and one for civilians.
	Eligible service personnel can claim a non-taxable benefit in the form of Home to Duty travel allowance (pedal cycle) and civilian personnel can apply for interest free loans of up to £1,000 to enable them to purchase a bicycle.
	The MOD is committed to promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing pollution wherever possible, and our policies to encourage this are kept under review. We have recently appointed a Health and Wellbeing Champion, but we do not have a specific champion for cycling.

Dalgety Bay

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he received the Committee on Medical Aspects of Reduction in the Environment report on radiation at Dalgety Bay;
	(2)  what reports or evidence he has received of pollution by radiation particles at Dalgety Bay;
	(3)  whether he has reported any possible polluter of radiation particles at Dalgety Bay to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Mark Francois: It is the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and not the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that is charged, within the context of land that could be designated as contaminated with radioactivity, with determining who is responsible. Therefore the MOD has not made any such report to SEPA.
	A number of reports on alleged pollution by radiation particles at Dalgety Bay have been examined by MOD.
	The MOD is aware of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment report on radiation at Dalgety Bay which was commissioned for the Scottish Government and is available via their website.

Defence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent Memorandum of Understanding signed with (a) Canada, (b) Norway and (c) Denmark.

Andrew Murrison: The most recent Memoranda of Understanding with Canada, Norway and Denmark came into effect on 6 August 2012, 6 March 2012 and 19 September 2012, respectively. The latter two seek to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, whereas the first specifically seeks to enhance defence materiel cooperation. In line with normal practice, such agreements are not made public as the details they contain are confidential between the UK and the nation concerned.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many meetings Ministers and officials in his Department had with Deloitte in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012;
	(2)  how much his Department paid to Deloitte for consultancy services in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Philip Dunne: In line with the Government's ‘Transparency’ agenda, since January 2011 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published details of all new non-exempt contracts it has awarded with an expected value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder, available at the following link:
	https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	Information about meetings that officials held with Deloitte could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Ministers meet with a range of defence contractors to discuss a wide range of issues. Details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations, including companies, are published in the MOD's transparency returns. Information can be found online at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Mark Francois: Data on the amount of surplus food disposed of by the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

France

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role is to be assigned to each strategic exchange officer post to be exchanged with France; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such posts in each of the next five years.

Philip Dunne: The precise roles of the new exchange officer posts with France, being set up in support of the Lancaster House Treaty, have not been finalised but include four positions in the French High Readiness Headquarters, one in the operational HQ, four in the French Ministry of Defence and one in the French staff college.
	As the posts are due to be established between now and 2015-16 it is not possible to estimate precise costs but typically they incur an additional 50% of the normal capitation costs of each individual to cover accommodation and overseas allowances.

Gurkhas

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons Ghurkas were historically not allowed to access pensions or social security benefits when made redundant.

Mark Francois: Before 1 July 1997, when the Brigade of Gurkhas moved permanently from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom, Department of Social Security rules excluded them from paying national insurance contributions, even if serving temporarily in the United Kingdom. For this reason they were ineligible for state benefits. However, those that qualified by length of service would have received payments from the Gurkha Pension Scheme at that time, if they were made redundant.
	Since May 2009 all ex-Gurkhas with more than four years service, may apply to settle in the United Kingdom. Once settled they are eligible for state benefits.

Gurkhas

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason Gurkhas were classed as foreigners and mercenaries before 1997.

Mark Francois: On 1 July 1997, with the withdrawal from Hong Kong, the Brigade of Gurkhas became a United Kingdom based force. Previously they had been based mainly in the Far East.
	Gurkhas have a long and historic connection to the United Kingdom. They serve under special and unique arrangements. We certainly do not consider them to be mercenaries. Gurkhas have always been recruited with the agreement and consent of the Government of Nepal. They are required under this agreement to remain Nepali citizens during their service in the Brigade of Gurkhas.

Gurkhas: Children

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has on children of Gurkhas despite being born in the UK being registered as being born in Hong Kong or Brunei.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information.

ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) start date, (b) planned completion date, (c) expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) expected cost was of each information technology project with a value in excess of £1 million undertaken by his Department and its executive agencies since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The information will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Libya and Somalia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the defence sections of the British Embassy in (a) Libya and (b) Somalia is to be opened.

Andrew Murrison: A permanent Defence Section is due to be established in Libya in December 2013 with the appointment of a Defence Attaché and a support staff officer.
	There is a Defence Section in the British Office for Somalia, which is currently based in Nairobi. Her Majesty's Government will establish the Defence Section in Mogadishu when the British embassy is opened in Mogadishu later this year.

Logistics

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the statement on page 17 of the annexes to his Department's Business Plan 2012-15, published on 31 May 2012, that his Department will publish a logistics sub-strategy, for what reason that sub-strategy has been classified as restricted.

Philip Dunne: The Defence Logistics Sub-Strategy contains, among other information, details of numbers of force elements, their readiness levels, and their reaction times that would be of material use to an enemy of the United Kingdom.

Mali

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total cost to the Exchequer of the British deployment to Mali in support of French military intervention in that country.

Andrew Robathan: This is an emerging operation which has been under way for only four weeks. Cost estimates are currently being compiled and they will be available in due course.

Medals

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the Committee on the Polar Medal; and who that committee's chairman is.

Mark Francois: The UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee (UKPMAC) is an independent committee that makes recommendations for the award of the polar medal to Her Majesty the Queen by the Secretary of State for Defence. The Chairman of the UKPMAC is Rear Admiral Tom Karsten, UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive (Hydrography), United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. The Secretary is Captain Stuart Lawrence MBE RD RNR Polar Medal and Clasp. In addition, the UKPMAC consists of eight eminent persons of the polar profession, who are in their own right holders of the polar medal.
	With the exception of the Chairman and Secretary the committee's membership is not in the public domain to protect the integrity of the selection process.

Medals

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used to award the Polar Medal.

Mark Francois: Nominations are considered in accordance with the criteria clearly outlined in the Royal Warrant of 1998 which was published in the London Gazette No. 55252 dated 14 September 1998, which is available at the following link:
	http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/55252/notices/4SI/from=1998-09-13;to-1998-09-15;all=polar
	The document will be placed in the Library of the House.

Medals

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the recipients of the Polar medal in each of the last 10 years, together with their citations.

Mark Francois: The recipients of the Polar medal are kept in the Polar Medal Roll, which is updated annually. Copies are held by:
	The Deputy Ceremonial Officer, Ceremonial Branch, Cabinet Office;
	The Polar Regions Unit, Overseas Territories Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
	The National Hydrographer;
	The Keeper of Public Records; and
	The Assistant Secretary Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.
	The Polar medal recipients are also announced each year in the London Gazette, available online at:
	http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/
	Recipients over the last 10 years have been collated and are shown in the following list. Citations are not in the public domain and are destroyed upon investiture.
	2012: Polar medal
	Antarctic to 2012
	Mr Steven Richard Colwell, Meteorologist—British Antarctic Survey
	Antarctic to 2011
	Mr John Cameron Withers, Dive Officer, Base Commander—British Antarctic Survey
	Antarctic to 2012
	Mr Simon Martin Garrod, Polar Field Leader—British Antarctic Survey/Antarctic, Logistics and Expeditions
	Arctic to 2012
	Professor Terrence Vincent Callaghan, Professor in Arctic Ecology, University of Sheffield. Director, Swedish Royal Academy of Science—Abisko Station
	Antarctic to 2012
	Mr Tudor Morgan, Field Operations Manager—British Antarctic Survey, Operations Manager—United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust
	Antarctic 1957-60
	Mr Edward Christopher John Clapp MBE, Radio Operator, Base Commander
	2011
	Antarctic to 2011
	Mr Paul William Cousens, Deputy Project Manager, British Antarctic Survey
	Mr Benjamin Richard Norrish, Vehicle Engineer, British Antarctic Survey
	Dr Michael Lance Curtis, Field Geologist, British Antarctic Survey
	Professor Michael James Bentley, Professor in Quaternary Environmental Change, Durham University
	Mr Christian Kevin David Jacobs, Field Facilities Manager, Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions
	Arctic and Antarctic to 2011
	Mr David Thomson Meldrum, Polar Sciences Support Technician, Scottish Association for Marine Science
	Second Clasp to Polar medal
	Arctic and Antarctic to 2011
	Professor Michael John Hambrey, Professor of Glaciology, Aberystwyth University
	2010
	Antarctic to 2010
	Mr Duncan Evan Anderson, Chief Engineer, Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross
	Mr David John Maxfield, Electronics Engineer, British Antarctic Survey
	Mr Andrew David McConnachie, Plant Technician, British Antarctic Survey
	Dr Teal Richard Riley PhD, Geologist, British Antarctic Survey
	Mr Peter Ward, Marine Research Scientist, British Antarctic Survey
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2010
	Captain Graham Phillip Chapman MN, Master, Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross
	Professor Martyn Tranter PhD, Professor of Physical Geography, Bristol University
	Arctic and Antarctic to 2010
	Dr Jonathan Ralph Ineson PhD, Geologist, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
	Second Clasp to Polar medal
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2009
	Mr Douglas George Allan, Cameraman, BBC Natural History Unit
	2009
	Antarctic to 1999
	Mr John Richard Westland Hanson, Personnel Officer, British Antarctic Survey
	Antarctic to 2009
	Dr Robert David Larter PhD, Marine Geologist, British Antarctic Survey
	Captain Alan Peter Meredith, Chief Pilot, British Antarctic Survey
	2008
	Antarctic to 2007
	Mr Derek Michael Forward, Chief Engineer, Royal Research Ship (RRS) Ernest Shackleton
	Antarctic to 2008
	Ms Penelope Granger BDS, Dental Officer, British Antarctic Survey
	Professor Lloyd Samuel Peck, PhD, Biologist, British Antarctic Survey
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2008
	Mr Richard Atkinson, Field Assistant, Dog Driver and Polar Conservationist
	Dr Adrian John Fox, PhD, Head of Mapping and Geographic Information Centre, British Antarctic Survey
	Second Clasp to Polar medal
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2008
	Professor Andrew Charles Clarke, PhD, Head of Science Division and Research Scientist, British Antarctic Survey
	2007
	Antarctic to 1999
	Dr Simon Brockington BSc, PhD, Marine Assistant and Biologist
	Antarctic to 2006
	Dr Peter Convey BA, PhD, Terrestrial Biologist
	Mr Alan Michael Carroll, Base Leader, Ionosphericist, Polar Historian and Conservationist
	Antarctic to 2007
	Miss Victoria Jane Auld, Base Commander and Meteorologist
	Mr Russell Scott Ladkin, Instrument Engineer
	Dr Philip Timothy Leat BSc, PhD, Research Geologist
	Captain David Francis Leatherdale, Line Pilot and Survey Pilot
	Mr Peter Charles Denis Lens, Communications Manager and IT Support Specialist
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2007
	Mr Robert Crawford Paterson, Chief Officer, Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross
	2006
	Antarctic to 2005
	Dr Michael George Richardson, PhD, Zoologist, Base Leader and Head of Polar Regions, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Antarctic to 2006
	Mr Patrick George Fielder, Plant Technician and Facilities Manager
	Mr Stephen Victor Hinde, Field Assistant and Winter Base Commander
	Mr Malcolm Inch, Marine Engineering Officer, Royal Research Ship (RRS) Ernest Shackleton
	Captain Leslie Kitson, Aircraft Pilot and Training Captain BAS Flight
	Dr Thomas Anthony Lachlan-Cope, PhD, Polar Meteorologist
	Dr Jonathan Lowton Watkins, PhD, Marine Biologist and Ecologist
	Antarctic and Arctic to 1988
	Dr Geoffrey Francis Hattersley-Smith, PhD, Geologist, Glaciologist, Base Leader and Polar Toponomist
	Arctic and Antarctic to 2006
	Professor Tavi Murray, PhD, Glaciologist
	2005
	Antarctic to 2004
	Mr Jonathan David Shanklin, Meteorologist
	Antarctic to 2005
	Mr Andrew Thomas Barker, Communications Manager and Winter Base Commander
	Mr Hugh Francis Joseph Corr, Ice Radar Scientist
	Captain Antonio Gatti, Chief Officer and Acting Master Royal Research Ship (RRS) Ernest Shackleton
	2004
	Antarctic to 2004
	Mr Michael Edward Patrick Gloistein, Radio Officer and Electro-Technical Officer (Communications)
	Mr Matthew Robert Jobson, Carpenter and Builder
	Mr Steven Marshall, Plumber, Field Assistant and Base Commander
	Captain Nigel Douglas Pearson, Aircraft Pilot
	Mr Mark Stewart, Information Technology Support and Communications Manager
	Mr Stephen George White, Head of Vehicles and Engineering Section
	Second Clasp to Polar medal
	Antarctic to 2001
	Professor John Patrick Croxall, CBE, Head of Birds and Seals Section, Biological Sciences Division
	Antarctic to 2004
	Mr Douglas Gordon Bone, Marine Biologist
	2003
	Antarctic 1944-45
	James Edward Butler Futtit Farrington, Senior Radio Officer (since deceased)
	Antarctic to 2003
	Mr Rodney John Arnold, Field Operations Manager
	Dr Adrian Jenkins, Glaciologist
	Dr Keith William Nicholls, Oceanographer
	Dr David Glyn Vaughan, Glaciologist
	Antarctic and Arctic to 2003
	Mr Keith Makinson, Drilling Engineer
	Professor Elizabeth Mary Morris OBE, Glaciologist
	Second Clasp to Polar medal
	Antarctic and Arctic to 1989
	Mr Allan Gill, Polar Scientist and Explorer

Medals

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) polar explorers and (b) employees of the British Antarctic Survey have been awarded the Polar Medal in each of the last 25 years.

Mark Francois: Polar medals were awarded to these categories as follows:
	
		
			  Polar explorers Employees of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 
			 2012 0 5 
			 2011 0 3 
			 2010 0 6 
			 2009 0 3 
			 2008 0 4 
			 2007 0 7 
			 2006 0 9 
			 2005 0 4 
			 2004 0 7 
			 2003 0 6 
			 2002 0 1 
			 2001 0 4 
			 2000 0 5 
			 1999 0 6 
			 1998 0 5 
			 1997 0 4 
			 1996 0 4 
			 1995 0 11 
			 1994 0 5 
			 1993 1 3 
			 1992 0 14 
			 1991 0 2 
			 1990 0 3 
			 1989 0 3 
			 1988 0 2 
			 1987 0 10 
			 Notes: 1. Since the Trans-globe expedition 1980-82 and the Footsteps of Expedition 1985-86, Polar Exploration, without an outstanding contribution to the research of polar sciences or in technical support of the research of polar sciences, is excluded from the award of the Polar Medal. 2. This includes recipients who may have been employed by the British Antarctic Survey only for part of the qualifying service required for their award.

Military Bases: Radioactive Waste

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department’s bases where radiation particles have been located are now subject to remediation action plans.

Mark Francois: Ministry of Defence (MOD) land where radium-226 contamination has been identified by the MOD Estate-wide Land Quality Assessments Programme is subject to suitable management controls. As a result, no MOD owned land is currently subject to remediation action plans.

Military Bases: Radioactive Waste

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the work started on the clean-up of Almondbank, Perth; and when he expects such work to be completed.

Mark Francois: Almondbank is no longer owned by the Ministry of Defence; it was sold to Vector Aerospace in 2008. The physical remediation of the localised areas of radium-226 contaminated soil at Almondbank is currently scheduled to commence in the week beginning 18 March 2013 in accordance with the contract of sale. The work should take approximately 12 weeks to complete. Some preliminary work has already commenced.

Military Decorations: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service medals have been awarded to armed forces personnel from Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency; and how this figure compares to the (a) Scottish and (b) national average.

Mark Francois: Data for how many service medals have been awarded to armed forces personnel from specific geographical locations such as Kilmarnock and Loudon are not held. Consequently, it is not possible to compare the figure for medals issued to those personnel from Kilmarnock and Loudon to that of the Scottish and national averages.
	Since 7 February 2012, a total of 186,850 medals have been issued to serving personnel and veterans.
	The figure refers to campaign and official commemorative medals, including the Diamond Jubilee Medal, and does not include honours or awards.

National Army Museum

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the National Army Museum in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Mark Francois: The National Army Museum plays a key role in preserving the Army's heritage. It is pivotal in acting as a bridge between communities and the present day Army and in improving awareness of the Army's role within society.
	The cost to Defence in maintaining the National Army Museum since financial year 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial Year Total (£) 
			 2010-11 6,312,403 
			 2011-12 5,715,362 
			 2012-13(1) 4,778,388 
			 (1) Expenditure as at January 2013.

North Africa

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he plans to publish cost estimates for operations in North Africa.

Andrew Robathan: The operation in Mali in West Africa has been under way for only four weeks and continues to evolve. Cost estimates are currently being compiled and they will be available in due course. The net additional cost of military operations in Mali in this financial year will be published in the Ministry of Defence's annual report and accounts 2012-13.

Nuclear Power: Research

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on research, development and demonstration for (a) nuclear fission and (b) nuclear fusion in each year since 2005.

Philip Dunne: Since 2005 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has spent the following amounts on research into the physics of nuclear fission and computer modelling of the fusion process, focused on the safety security and performance of the deterrent warhead:
	
		
			 £000 
			 Financial Year 2005-6 2006-7 2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Fission 300 300 332 591 474 433 327 
			 Fusion 650 650 700 700 967 619 699 
		
	
	Specific costs for years 2005 to 2007 are not available so an estimate has been provided.
	These figures do not include research into the much wider area of submarine nuclear propulsion, which uses fission.
	The MOD has not demonstrated nuclear fission nor fusion since the last underground nuclear weapons test in 1991.

Offshore Industry: Security

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the provision of security for the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry.

Andrew Robathan: The surveillance and security of the UK’s maritime areas and borders is the responsibility of a number of Departments and law enforcement agencies, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, DEFRA and the UK Border Force. Defence maintains a range of maritime capabilities which other Government Departments and civil powers can request under standard Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) principles. There have been no recent requests for this support for the security of the offshore oil and gas industry. If there were, and in line with HM Treasury guidance, Defence would seek to recover its costs, except where there is an immediate threat to life.

Overtime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm's length bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13 to date.

Mark Francois: The number of staff being paid overtime in the Department is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is therefore not possible to provide an average cost per member of staff who claimed overtime payments.
	The total overtime costs for the years in question are set out in the following table, including the forecast for 2012-13. The figures include overtime payments made to MOD Police and the Defence Fire Service, as well as civilian industrial and non-industrial staff and civilian staff engaged locally overseas.
	
		
			 Financial year Total overtime costs (£ million) 
			 2010-11 68.4 
			 2011-12 65.4 
			 2012-13 (1)69.0 
			 (1 )Forecast. 
		
	
	The total overtime costs for the Trading Funds over the years in question are in the following table:
	
		
			 Trading Funds overtime 
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Dstl UKHO DSG 
			 2010-11 4.016 0.492 5.935 
			 2011-12 4.320 0.543 5.261 
			 2012-13(1) 3.450 0.455 3.025 
			 (1 )To January 2013.

Property

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which sites owned by his Department are currently earmarked for disposal; how long each site has been on the market; and what is the size of each site. [R]

Mark Francois: The latest list of sites for disposal will be placed in the Library of the House. While this list states the area of each site, it does not state the length of time the properties have been on the market. This information is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Property Transfer

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has gained from sales of its property in Wrexham in the last 10 years.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence sold two Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) properties at Kingsmill Road, Wrexham in October 2011 for £290,000. The receipts from these sales went to the RFCA, who held legal title, and were therefore not directly attributable to the departmental disposal targets. However, the RFCAs are required to use any such receipts to deliver departmental priorities.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The number of personnel appointed to public bodies in 2010-11 was 192 and in 2011-12 it was 23.
	The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	and in the Library of the House.

Qinetiq: Pensions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with QinetiQ regarding the clarification of pension costs supplied by that company as part of the long-term partnering agreement. [R]

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence is closely engaged with QinetiQ regarding the company's proposed changes to pension arrangements associated with the Long Term Partnering Agreement Contract, to understand the impact that such proposals may have on pension costs and to ensure that the interests of both the taxpayer and the work force are protected.

Radiation Exposure

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether he has made a public request for potential polluters of Almond Bank, Perth to self-identify;
	(2)  what process his Department has agreed with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to identify the polluter at Almond Bank;
	(3)  what legal documentation was required on the designation of the polluter prior to the decision to remove radiation materials at Almond Bank in Perth.

Mark Francois: The former Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) site at Almondbank was sold to Vector Aerospace Ltd as a going concern in 2008. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will be undertaking remediation work as part of a contractual condition agreed under the terms of that sale.
	Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) would be the lead regulator in Scotland for all matters pertaining to radioactively contaminated land. Consequently it would be for SEPA and not the MOD to determine who the appropriate persons are, in the event that the Almondbank site was deemed to be radioactively contaminated land.

Radiation Exposure

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to identify other possible polluters of radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay Beach, Fife.

Mark Francois: Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the lead regulator in Scotland for all matters pertaining to radioactively contaminated land. Consequently it would be for SEPA and not the Ministry of Defence to determine any possible polluters at Dalgety Bay.

RAF Museum

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) Royal Air Force Museum London and (b) Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Mark Francois: The Royal Air Force Museum plays a key role in preserving the Royal Air Force's heritage by conserving, preserving, managing and exhibiting artefacts and documents. Their role is to educate and inform the public and members of the Royal Air Force about the history and traditions of the Royal Air Force and increase awareness of the Royal Air Force's role within society.
	The Royal Air Force Museums are funded through grants in aid. The cost to Defence in maintaining the Royal Air Force museums since Financial Year 2010-2011 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial Year RAF Museum London RAF Museum Cosford 
			 2010-11 4,928,000 2,624,000 
			 2011-12 4,980,000 2,761,000 
			 2012-13(1) 5,069,176 2,496,759 
			 (1) Expenditure as at January 2013.

Rare Earths

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the importance of rare earth elements to defence guidance and control systems and electronic warfare; and what estimate he has made of how much of each such metal is required by UK defence industries.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence's Science and Technology Programme has conducted analysis of the importance of certain materials, including the rare earth elements, to a range of defence capabilities. The research is used to advise equipment procurement and support teams to understand which materials are important and enable them to discuss this with defence suppliers who may then need to take steps to ensure ongoing security of supply and cost management.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Mark Francois: Between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 there were no regulations repealed by the Ministry of Defence.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what the anticipated cost is of each.

Mark Francois: Between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, the Ministry of Defence introduced seven new items of secondary legislation:
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2012
	The Armed Forces (Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme and Further and Higher Education Commitment Scheme) Order 2012
	The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Armed Forces (Powers of Stop and Search, Search, Seizure and Retention) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Armed Forces Act 2011 (Commencement No.2) Order 2012
	The Caversfield Service Family Accommodation Byelaws 2012
	These new instruments have come as the result of the regular updating and consolidation of departmental secondary legislation and have been prepared within existing departmental resources.

Reserve Forces

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) employers, (b) trade unions and (c) other organisations were consulted by his Department on the planned changes to the reserves.

Mark Francois: holding answer 11 February 2013
	The Ministry of Defence ran a public consultation from 8 November 2012 to 18 January 2013 during which all employers, trade unions and other organisations were able to comment on our proposals for the future reserve forces. This included a comprehensive programme of national and regional workshops with employers of all sizes. We received a significant number of responses from reservists, employers and a wide variety of organisations. A full summary will be published alongside the White Paper in the spring.

Reserve Forces

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential risks associated with not recruiting a sufficient reserve force to complement regular capability.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 66W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).

Reserve Forces: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made towards the implementation of Future Reserves 2020 in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: Implementation of Future Reserves 2020 is progressing for reserve forces based in Northern Ireland, as it is with the reserve forces of all three armed forces based elsewhere. Work to improve the Maritime Reserves infrastructure has commenced. New equipment has been fielded with Territorial Army units in Northern Ireland including Wolf Land Rover, MAN trucks and new combat uniforms, and elements of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (TA) and 253 Medical Regiment have each conducted a two-week exercise in Cyprus in 2012. Work is in hand to establish a new Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron at Aldergrove. As the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 8 November 2012, the forthcoming White Paper, to be published in the spring, will set out our detailed proposals for the way forward to deliver the changes required for reserve forces.

Royal Naval Museum

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the National Museum of the Royal Navy in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Mark Francois: The National Museum for the Royal Navy draws together the Royal Naval Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum into a single entity that, alongside HMS Victory, improves awareness of our naval heritage.
	The funding provided through grants in aid to the National Museum of the Royal Navy in financial years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
			 2010- 11 2,797,046 
			 2011-12 4,107,846 
			 2012-13 3,323,146 
			 (1) Expenditure March 2012 to January 2013

Senior Civil Servants

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of officials of the three most senior grades in his Department have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement, (c) left the Department for alternative employment, (d) been dismissed, (e) taken long-term sick leave and (f) taken administrative leave since May 2010.

Mark Francois: The number of officials in the three most senior grades in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has fluctuated in the period since May 2010. We cannot therefore provide the information requested as a proportion of all officials of these grades.
	12 officials in these grades have resigned since May 2010, including those who resigned to retire.
	20 officials in these grades have taken voluntary early release since May 2010.
	The MOD does not record what people intend to do when they leave us. We cannot therefore provide full details of the number of officials who have left for alternative employment. However, eight officials in these grades are known to have transferred to other Government Departments during this period.
	No officials in these grades have been dismissed during this period.
	No officials in these grades have taken long-term sick leave since May 2010.
	Administrative leave is not a term recognised by the MOD.

Shipbuilding: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of the Terms of Business Agreement between his Department and BAE Systems in respect of the shipbuilding facility in Portsmouth.

Philip Dunne: The Terms of Business Agreement (TOBA) between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and BAE Systems (BAES) is an overarching agreement under which contracts are placed for complex warship building and support work. The TOBA itself does not have any financial value attached and the value of the underlying contracts depends on the work awarded to BAES.
	The TOBA does not specify a value of the company's total shipbuild workload to be carried out at its facility in Portsmouth.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department.

Mark Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 21 November 2012, Official Report, columns 496-8W, and 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 626W, to the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane).

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the UK's largest employers and landowners conducting one of the most complex operations in the country. In addition to recruiting, training, paying, equipping and supplying the armed forces, supporting the delivery of military capability in the field also includes: providing domestic accommodation; providing primary and specialist medical care; running schools and colleges; providing welfare services; operating complex industrial and research facilities; and running a national police force and guard service.
	As a public body we are also bound by the obligations of the Official Secrets Act, the Public Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act. All functions undertaken by military and civilian personnel are undertaken within the relevant national statutory and regulatory frameworks and it is simply not possible to estimate centrally how much time is attributable specifically to fulfilling statutory obligations.

Timothy MacColl

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with officials in Dubai regarding the disappearance of Timmy MacColl.

Mark Francois: Leading Seaman MacColl is a missing person abroad, and the Government lead for engagement with the Dubai authorities remains with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	Defence Ministers have had no direct contact with officials in Dubai, but Royal Navy personnel, working closely with the FCO, continue to liaise with and provide assistance to the Dubai authorities, as well as continuing to support Leading Seaman MacColl's family.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) invests in both external and internal training for civilian personnel. The estimated cost of the provision of training to civilian staff in the MOD was £49 million in financial year (FY) 2010-11 and £35 million in FY 2011-12. These figures include external training, including specialist non-core civilian training that cannot be carried out in house and the provision of training by the Defence Academy.
	The Defence Academy is the primary provider of training and education to civilian personnel, both through courses run on site, and through the provision of e-learning, including the running of Defence e-learning centres. Some training is also delivered locally, usually by civilian or military staff for whom training is not a full-time responsibility.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of using unmanned aerial vehicles on security missions to date.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 12 February 2013
	The current portfolio of unmanned air systems were all purchased as urgent operational requirements and have been used on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total financial approval for delivering and sustaining these unmanned air systems at various times from 2007 until the end of 2014 in both theatres of operations is £774 million. Collectively these have flown for well over 140,000 hours.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to review the UK Reaper remotely piloted air system as required by article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva convention; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such review.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 18 December 2012
	The Reaper Unmanned Air System has been the subject of legal reviews during the acquisition process, in accordance with the UK’s responsibilities under article 36 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva conventions of 1949. The reviews concluded that Reaper is capable of being used lawfully and in accordance with all relevant international and domestic law. The reviews are subject to legal professional privilege and I am unwilling, therefore, to place copies in the Library of the House.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the use of unarmed unmanned aerial systems in the UK; and what plans he has for their future use.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no plans for the operational use of any unmanned air systems in the UK.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake an assessment of the aural and psychological effects of the use of armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles on those affected by strikes from such vehicles in Afghanistan.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 December 2012, Official Report, columns 707-08W.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2013 to the hon. Member for Plymouth Moor View, Official Report, column 50W, on unmanned air vehicles, if he will place in the Library a copy of all documents and guidance governing the use and engagement of the Watchkeeper fleet in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no plans to conduct operational flights of the Watchkeeper unmanned air system in the UK; Watchkeeper will be used in the UK for training purposes only. The information requested will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2012, Official Report, column 29W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether his Department has provided any unarmed drone assistance in countries other than (a) Afghanistan and (b) Libya against non-terrorist suspects in the last three years.

Andrew Robathan: During the previous three years the Ministry of Defence has only operated unmanned aircraft systems—armed and unarmed—in support of UK and coalition forces on ground operations in Afghanistan.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 31W, on Afghanistan, how many unmanned aerial vehicle strikes have been conducted by the UK since 1 November 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: As of 1 February 2013, 18 Hellfire precision guided missiles and no (zero) laser guided bombs have been employed by the UK Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) in Afghanistan since 1 November 2012. Reaper is the only UK RPAS which carries weapons.
	Reaper is not an autonomous system and all weapons employment depends upon commands from the flight crew. The weapons may be released under the command of a pilot who uses Rules of Engagement (ROE) that are no different to those used for manned UK combat aircraft. The targets are always positively identified as legitimate military objectives, and attacks are prosecuted in strict accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and UK ROE. Every effort is made to ensure the risk of collateral damage, including civilian casualties, is minimised.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance he plans to provide to the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-terrorism and Human Rights' inquiry into the use of unmanned aerial vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Her Majesty's Government will be co-operating with the UN Special Rapporteur's inquiry where appropriate. As part of this co-operation, officials from the Ministry of Defence are meeting Mr Emmerson QC in March during the evidence gathering stage of his inquiry.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to review the use of unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles as required by Article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention; and if he will place a copy of any such review in the Library.

Andrew Robathan: The Reaper and Watchkeeper unmanned air systems (UAS) have been subject to legal reviews during the acquisition process, in accordance with the UK's responsibilities under Article 36 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva conventions of 1949. Legal reviews are subject to legal professional privilege and I am unwilling to place copies in the Library of the House.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake an assessment of the legality of targeted killings by remotely piloted air systems.

Andrew Robathan: The UK complies fully with its obligations under international law, as set out in Article 36 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva conventions, to review all new weapons, and means and methods of warfare to determine whether their employment would in some or all circumstances be prohibited by the protocol or any other rule of international law.
	The UK only operates one armed remotely piloted aircraft system, Reaper, which has been in service since 2007 and is predominately used for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks providing vital intelligence in support of our forces on the ground in Afghanistan. All UK forces in Afghanistan operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and UK rules of engagement, under the command of the NATO International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF), under the legal authority of UN Security Council resolutions and with the consent of the Government of Afghanistan.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) psychological and (b) physical assessments his Department has undertaken on Royal Air Force pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles; and if he will place in the Library copies of any such studies.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence takes seriously the psychological and physical health of all armed forces personnel. The RAF Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) force, alongside other frontline forces, has robust Trauma Risk Management strategies in place to ensure this is continually monitored. The RAF Medical Services have not detected any adverse psychological and physical trends for RAF pilots of RPAS.

Uzbekistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about military equipment to be transferred to the latter in exchange for shipping out UK military hardware following the UK's withdrawal from Afghanistan; and whether his Department plans to seek any undertakings in respect of the use of such equipment.

Andrew Robathan: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), met Government of Uzbekistan Ministers in February and May 2012 to discuss reverse transit, including the potential gifting of military equipment.
	We take our export responsibilities very seriously and operate one of the most rigorous export control regimes in the world. We will only gift or sell equipment which meets the EU Consolidated Criteria, which includes an assessment of whether the equipment could be used for human rights violations or internal repression. The proposed gifting package for the Uzbek Ministry of Defence has been examined and cleared against these criteria. The text of our Memorandum of Understanding with Uzbekistan on defence co-operation makes clear that co-operation—which includes any gifted equipment—will be on the basis of generally recognised principles of international law and a commitment to democratic values, human rights and freedoms.

Veterans

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department retains the expertise and knowledge of senior former members of the armed services.

Mark Francois: The expertise and knowledge of former senior officers of the armed forces is highly regarded by the MOD.
	The career-long experience of retired senior officers, Rear Admiral, Major General and Air Vice Marshal and higher, is retained via a range of methods, both formal and informal, including dialogue, mentoring and annual briefing days.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications for onshore wind turbines were objected to by his Department between the period (a) 1 June and 31 December 2010, (b) 1 January and 31 May 2011, (c) 1 June and 31 December 2011, (d) 1 January and 31 May 2012 and (e) 1 June and 31 December 2012; and what proportion of on shore wind applications to which his Department had been invited to respond were objected to in each such period.

Mark Francois: The following numbers of onshore wind farm planning applications were received by the Ministry of Defence and objected to in the periods requested:
	
		
			 Period Number of applications received Of which the following were objected to Objected to as a percentage of applications received (%) 
			 1 June to 31 December 2009 160 7 4.4 
			 1 January to 31 May 2010 205 9 4.4 
			 1 June to 31 December 2010 378 19 5.0 
			 1 January to 31 May 2011 433 19 4.4 
			 1 June to 31 December 2011 1,005 57 5.7 
			 I January to 31 May 2012 944 73 7.7 
			 1 June to 31 December 2012 1,439 223 15.5

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Mark Francois: As of 1 October 2012 there were 1,310 members of staff in the East Riding of Yorkshire Unitary Authority and 110 in Kingston upon Hull Unitary Authority. These figures include both civilian and service personnel.

PRIME MINISTER

Mass Media

Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  for what reason his meetings with media executives and journalists have not been published since June 2012;
	(2)  if he will publish the details of all meetings between himself and media executives and journalists since June 2012;
	(3)  if he will publish the details of all meetings between his special advisers and media executives and journalists since June 2012.

David Cameron: Details of my meetings with external organisations, including meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website.

Nuclear Weapons

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Prime Minister on which occasions he has discussed the funding of a future nuclear deterrent with the Secretary of State for Defence in the last 12 months.

David Cameron: It is long-standing Government practice not to disclose information relating to ministerial meetings.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what regulations her Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Michael Penning: One set of regulations were made by my Department in the period between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, namely, the Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. There were no implementation costs to the public purse arising from these regulations.

EDUCATION

Academies Capital Maintenance Fund

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many additional academy places have been created through the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund to date.

David Laws: 60 projects that primarily address overcrowding and/or expansion were approved in June 2012. The applications indicate that these will provide 5,836 additional places.

Adoption: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many couples in Brigg and Goole constituency adopted a child in each of the last three years.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 11 February 2013
	Information on the exact number of couples who adopted a child is not available. The Department collects information on the numbers of looked after children who have been adopted by single people, civil partners, married and unmarried (same sex and different sex) couples. Some couples will adopt two or more children. The number of couples who adopt will therefore be lower than the number of children adopted.
	Information on numbers of adoptions is not available at constituency level. The information has therefore been provided showing the numbers of looked after children adopted by single people and couples in the local authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. This is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Children looked after who were adopted during the years ending 31 March by legal status of adopters(1), years ending 31 March 2010 to 2012. Coverage: East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 
			 Number 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire    
			 All looked after children who were adopted during the year ending 31 March 20 10 20 
			 Legal status of adopters:    
			 Single adopter (2)— 0 0 
			 Same sex couple not in civil partnership 0 0 (2)— 
			 Different sex unmarried couple 0 0 (2)— 
			 Civil partnership couple 0 (2)— (2)— 
			 Married couple 20 5 20 
			     
			 Lincolnshire    
			 All looked after children who were adopted during the year ending 31 March 40 40 45 
			 Legal status of adopters:    
			 Single adopter (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Same sex couple not in civil partnership 0 (2)— (2)— 
			 Different sex unmarried couple 5 5 5 
			 Civil partnership couple 0 0 0 
			 Married couple 30 30 30 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. (2) Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality. Source: SSDA 903

Armed Forces: Cadets

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what disciplinary procedures relating to child protection he has put in place for adults working with the cadet forces taking part in the national military skills and ethos programme;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the appropriate priority is awarded to child protection and safeguarding in cadet units.

Elizabeth Truss: All schools must have regard to statutory guidance from this Department on safeguarding, “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education”. That guidance covers the issue of volunteers working with children—for example in school cadet units, which the Department's military ethos programme will expand.
	In addition, from 2013-14 (date to be announced) any organisation that permits an unsupervised volunteer to start working regularly and closely with children will have a legal duty to check that the volunteer is not barred from such work. In addition, organisations can require an enhanced criminal record check. Any organisation that removes a person (staff or volunteer) from such work because of risk of harm to children must refer that person to the Disclosure and Barring Service for possible barring. These duties apply equally to the four MOD sponsored cadet forces (The Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps). Disciplinary procedures are an internal matter for these voluntary youth organisations, and fit with wider MOD safeguarding regulations.

Child Minding: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many childminders in Birmingham were registered with Birmingham city council in each year since 2005.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 5 February 2013
	This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 5 February 2013
	Your recent Parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Ofsted took over responsibility for registering and inspecting childminders from local authorities in 2001. Since then, childminders have been required to register with Ofsted rather than the local authority. The number of active childminders registered with Ofsted in the Birmingham local authority area at the end of each year since 2005 is in the following table. The figure for September 2012 is the latest published data.
	
		
			 Date Number of active providers 
			 September 2012 799 
			 December 2011 796 
			 December 2010 784 
			 December 2009 838 
			 December 2008 893 
			 December 2007 942 
			 December 2006 1,073 
			 December 2005 999 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Elizabeth Truss MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Children in Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the reports of the work of the task and finish groups on children's homes; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The expert groups on children's homes have completed their work, and the Expert Group on Quality has produced a very helpful analysis which we will soon be publishing on our website. I announced next steps on children's homes in my speech on 5 February on vulnerable children. These include: improved data collection about children who go missing; removing regulatory barriers to make it possible to share information on the Ideation of children's homes with the police; and consulting on measures to strengthen the accountability of local authorities and children's homes for safeguarding vulnerable children, especially when they are placed significant distances away from their home communities.

Children in Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the results of the consultation on the sharing of registration details of children's homes; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Almost all those responding to the Department's consultation supported the proposal to change the regulations, to enable Ofsted to share the names and addresses of children's homes with the police. Our response to the consultation will be published shortly.

Children in Care

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the prevalence of (a) alcohol and (b) substance abuse amongst parents whose children have been taken into care.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect figures on the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among parents of children who have been taken into care. Table A1 in the Department's latest Statistical First Release “Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England year ending 31 March 2012” gives the category of need at the time the child started to be looked after. The table can be accessed from the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001084/index.shtml
	Some of these categories may be linked to the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among parents of these children.
	Two studies have yielded some insights into the prevalence rates for alcohol and substance misuse among parents of children involved in care proceedings. The CAFCASS care application study 2012, “Three weeks in November....three years on” showed that of the 247 cases included in the study sample, parental drug and/or alcohol misuse was found to be a contributing factor to the care application in 61% of cases.
	The Care Profiling Study (Masson et al, MOJ Research Series 4/08) looked at 381 s31 care cases completed in 2004 and found that alcohol was a cause of the LA's concern in relation to some 25.3% of mothers and 18.9% of fathers. Drugs were a risk factor for 38.6% of mothers and 34.8% of fathers.
	From April 2013 the Department will be asking local authorities, as part of the Children in Need census, to record information about factors identified as part of an assessment of a child's needs. These factors include whether there are concerns about a parent or a carer's substance or alcohol misuse. The data will be will be available in autumn 2014.

Children in Care

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the prevalence of (a) alcohol and (b) substance abuse amongst children in care.

Edward Timpson: Table 5 of ‘Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England as at 31 March 2012’, published by the Department in December 2012, shows that there were 1,900 children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months and identified as having a substance misuse problem during the year ending 31 March 2012. The table can be accessed from the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00217266/outcomes-children-looked-after-las-england-march-2012
	These figures are compiled from local authority SSDA903 returns submitted to the Department in accordance with technical guidance notes. These explain that the term ‘substance misuse’ refers to both drugs and alcohol, but not tobacco.

Children: Day Care

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his Department's More Great Childcare report, what consultations his Department undertook with people who work in child care to inform its policy proposals.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 7 February 2013
	I, and officials of the Department, held a number of meetings with interested parties in advance of the publication of our “More Great Childcare” report. This included discussions with representative bodies, providers, local authorities and academics to discuss our emerging proposals. Our report incorporates the Government's response to Professor Cathy Nutbrown's independent review of qualifications for the early education and child care workforce, and that itself was subject to extensive consultation and discussion with a very wide range of interested individuals and organisations.
	We are committed to continuing to discuss our proposals further with all who have an interest in them. We have launched a public consultation on how early education and child care staff may be deployed in the future and this runs until 25 March 2013. In addition, we expect the Teaching Agency to launch a consultation shortly on new criteria to underpin new early years qualifications, and we intend to consult on new statutory guidance to reflect the role of local authorities set out in “More Great Childcare”. Further consultations may also follow.

Children: ICT

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effect of new digital technology and media on the attention span of pupils and students.

David Laws: The Department for Education has assessed the evidence about the effect of new digital technologies on the attention span of pupils and students. There is some evidence that digital technology can support improved attention by pupils.
	The 'listening programme', a computer-delivered 10-week intervention, has been shown to not only improve listening skills, but also to develop attention skills necessary for a child with behavioural difficulties to be integrated effectively into the classroom (Underwood et al 2009).
	In their evaluation of the Interactive White Board (IWB), Somekh et al (2007) found that although the use of an IWB in whole class teaching appeared to have little impact on raising the attainment of pupils with special educational needs, it had a marked impact in engaging their attention and often improved their behaviour.
	References:
	Somekh, B., Haldane, M., Jones, K., Lewin, C., Steadman, S., Scrimshaw, P., Sing, S., Bird, K., Cummings, J., Downing, B., Harber Stuart, T., Jarvis, J. Mavers., D and Woodrow, D (2007b) Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project. Report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Centre for ICT, Pedagogy and Learning Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University.
	Underwood. J. Banyard, P. Betts, L. Farrington-Flint, L., Kerlin, L. and Stiller, J., (2009) Narrowing the Gap: The Evidence. Coventry: Becta.

Children: ICT

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has commissioned on the effect of digital technology on the brains of children and young people.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has not commissioned any research on the effect of digital technology on the brains of children and young people. It has assessed the evidence about the effect of digital technology on learning.
	A systematic review on the effects of digital technology on learning concluded that there is a small positive, but not causal, link between the use of digital technologies and pupils' attainment. The review did not find any evidence on the beneficial impact of e-learning on pupils' achievement. It also found that sustained use of computer technology can have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of young children (Higgins et al, 2012).
	Other evidence has found that information and communication technology (ICT) increases pupils' confidence and motivation by making school work more enjoyable (Passey et al, 2004).
	References
	Higgins, S. et al (2012) The impact of digital technology on learning: a summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. November 2012.
	Passey, D., Rogers. C., with Machell, J., and McHugh, G. (2004) The Motivational Effect of ICT on Students. Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University. DFES RR 523.

Children: ICT

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the effect of the overuse of digital technology on academic standards.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has conducted in-house analysis examining the impact of the use of digital technologies on academic standards such as reading, but has not specifically focused on overuse. International evidence shows mixed findings of the impact on standards, for example:
	Twist et al. (2007) report finding a negative association between the amount of time children spent reading stories and articles on the internet and reading achievement in most countries in PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) data.
	In contrast, the Scottish Executive (2004), in their analysis of data for Scotland from PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment), found that those reading from the internet score well in reading assessments, and PISA reports that children who are extensively engaged in online reading activities are generally found to be more proficient readers (OECD, 2010).
	References
	OECD (2010) PISA 2009 Results: Executive Summary
	Scottish Executive (2004). Programme for International Student Assessment 2000—Scotland Analysis. Statistics Publication Notice: Education Series.
	Twist, L., Schagan, I. and Hogson, C. (2007). Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): Reader and Reading National Report for England 2006. NFER and DCSF.

Children: Poverty

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the Government plans to analyse the responses to its consultation entitled, Measuring Child Poverty: a consultation on better measures of child poverty, published in November 2012.

David Laws: The consultation on better measures of child poverty closed on 15 February and a large volume of responses was received. All responses will be read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured, and inform future policy decisions.

Children: Protection

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 813W, on children: protection, for what reasons his Answer did not also include the information provided to the Procedure Committee during his evidence session on 23 January 2013 relating to Spain; and if he will review the initial response to that question, tabled on 24 January, to identify if any other countries have been excluded from the Answer.

Edward Timpson: At the Procedure Committee on 23 January 2013, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), agreed to invite the hon. Member to a meeting with me to review the answers to his questions on child protection. A meeting is in the process of being arranged, and I look forward to discussing this with him.

Children: Protection

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to reform social work training to ensure social workers have an understanding of the effect of maltreatment on older children.

Edward Timpson: The content of initial social work training is the responsibility of each Higher Education Institution delivering social work degree courses subject to approval by the Health and Care Professions Council.
	The College of Social Work has a key role in quality assurance through its Professional Capabilities Framework and a series of curriculum guides which include information on specific areas of knowledge including adolescent development.
	We would expect initial social work education, which leads to qualified social worker status, to equip newly qualified social workers with the knowledge they need to undertake a wide range of social work roles, including work with older children.
	As part of a long term programme of social work reform, the Department continues to keep the quality and relevance of social work training under review.

Children's Centres

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the funding of new nursery places will be in addition to the funding of children's centres; and whether the funding of such children's centres will be cut in the (a) current and (b) next financial year.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government is providing additional funding to extend early education places to two-year-olds from lower income households, rising to £760 million in 2014-15. From 2013-14 this funding will be included in the Dedicated Schools Grant. The Government announced additional funding allocations to local authorities on 27 November 2012. Details can be accessed on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/delivery/Free%20Entitlement%20to%20Early%20Education/b0070114/eefortwoyearolds/la-funding-allocations
	In April 2011 the Department for Education introduced the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). The grant is un-ringfenced and does not contain any notional allocations for different policy areas. This gives local authorities greater freedom and flexibility in how they spend their funding, enabling them to make judgments based on local needs and what works best. Subject to that local decision making, the EIG can support a full range of services for children, young people and families including Sure Start children's centres. Information on 2012-13 EIG funding levels is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0070357/early-intervention-grant-frequently-asked-questions/?cid=LAemail&pla=25feb2011&type=email
	The EI—along with a number of other central Government grants—will from 2013-14 become part of the new local government funding scheme (the Business Rates Retention scheme). The EIG allocation for local authorities will be visible within Business Rates Retention funding in 2013-14 and 2014-15. For more information on 2013-14 and 2014-15 EIG levels see:
	http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm
	As the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has explained, the overall funding for early intervention is increasing, from £2.2 billion in 2011-12 to £2.5 billion in 2014-15. The transfer of funding for early education for two-year-olds from lower income households from the EIG to the Dedicated Schools Grant reduced the size of the EIG from 2012-13 to 2013-14. However, this funding is still allocated to local authorities. In 2013-14 the total EIG itself will be £1,708,918,200, and in 2014-15 it will be £1,600,026,400.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  for what reasons his Department's expert advisory group on violence against women and girls was disbanded;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Culture, Media and Sport to tackle women and girls' safety online;
	(3)  which Minister in his Department is responsible for leading on violence against women issues;
	(4)  what recent discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with experts on gender and violence against women.

Edward Timpson: As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, I lead the Department for Education's input to cross-Government work on violence against women and girls.
	The Home Office leads cross-Government work on this issue and holds regular meetings of Ministers and officials, some of which are attended by voluntary sector organisations working in this field. On 1 November 2012 I attended an Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group meeting at which such organisations had the opportunity to put their views on the cross-Government Action Plan and its implementation to Ministers. These organisations also meet Government officials, including officials from the Department for Education, in a stakeholder group, chaired by the Home Office, which is due to meet four times this year.
	The Department for Education's expert advisory group on violence against women and girls was disbanded because the Home Office has sufficient arrangements in place to take the views of experts in the sector. The Home Office's March 2012 update to the Action Plan, ‘Taking Action—the next chapter’, set out the intention to combine the DFE advisory group with the Home Office stakeholder group.
	I regularly meet the Minister of State for Crime Prevention, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), to discuss child internet safety, including women and girls' safety, at UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) board meetings. We three Ministers chair these board meetings jointly. The most recent meeting took place on 11 February at DFE, and was chaired by myself.

Departmental Responsibilities

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State’s core statutory obligations are:
	to promote the education of the people of England (Education Act 1996, section 10); and
	to promote the well-being of children in England (Children and Young Persons Act, 2008, section 7).
	The Department's annual budget is directed to these obligations. The Department's budget for 2012-13 is set out in the Main Supply Estimate available on the HM Treasury website here:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/dfe_mainsupplyestimates_ 201213.pdf
	The Department also manages a policy and regulatory framework under which many other bodies, such as local authorities and academy sponsors, invest their own funds to promote the education and well-being of children.

Dominic Cummings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what travel expenses his special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has claimed from the public purse since his appointment; and what the (a) date, (b) venue and (c) purpose of the engagement for which expenses were claimed was in each case.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 24 May 2012
	Mr Cummings has not claimed any travel expense from the Department for Education since his appointment.

Education: Qualifications

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs in each school achieved no qualifications by the end of key stage 4 in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 11 February 2013
	Information on pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs in each school who had achieved no passes at GCSE level by the end of key stage 4 in 2011/12 has been placed in the House Libraries.

Empty Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the empty or largely empty buildings owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not own any empty or largely empty buildings.

GCE A-level

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students who studied (a) politics and (b) geography at GCSE level went on to study it further at A-level in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: There are currently no GCSE courses available in politics.
	The following tables show the number of entries in Geography GCSE in 2006 to 2010 compared to the number of entries in A-level geography two years later.
	
		
			 Entries in GCSE and A-level geography 
			 KS4 year Number of GCSE geography entries 
			 2006 187,300 
			 2007 185,900 
			 2008 177,800 
			 2009 173,800 
			 2010 169,900 
		
	
	
		
			 KS5 year Number of A-level geography entries A-level entries as a percentage of GCSE entries 
			 2008 27,800 14.9 
			 2009 28,500 15.3 
			 2010 29,200 16.4 
			 2011 28,200 16.2 
			 2012 28,900 17.0

GCSE

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education at schools at which more than 50 per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 were eligible for free school meals, how many and what proportion of pupils achieved (a) A* to C grades in English and mathematics GCSE, (b) five A* to C grades in GCSE including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents, (c) five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics including equivalents, (d) A* to C grades in English, mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography GCSE excluding equivalents and (e) five A* to A grades at GCSE excluding equivalents, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: Information on pupil attainment for those pupils who are eligible for free school meals is not published at school level. This is in order to protect the identity of pupils in care as these numbers could be inferred given data is published for disadvantaged pupils. Disadvantaged pupils are defined as those who are either eligible for free school meals (FSM) in last six years or have been looked after continuously (CLA) by the local authority for six months.
	Information on pupil attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 by school type and for disadvantaged pupils for parts (a), (c) and (d) is available in the School Performance tables at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/
	For part (b), information is only available for five A* to C grades in GCSE including English and mathematics including equivalents. Information excluding equivalents could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Information for part (e) has been placed in the House Libraries. This information includes GCSE equivalents and as above providing information excluding equivalents could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

GCSE

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 397-400W, on GCSE, if he will provide the figures broken down by (a) boys and (b) girls.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 12 February 2013
	Pursuant to my answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 397-98W, PQ 136139, a table has been placed in the House Libraries providing school level information for pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs for both boys and girls, for each of the 2010/11 GCSE attainment indicators:
	(a) five A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents,
	(b) five A* to C GCSE and equivalent grades including English and mathematics,
	(c) no GCSEs at A* to C grade excluding equivalents,
	(d) no GCSE and equivalent grades at A* to C,
	(e) A* to C grades in English GCSE,
	(f) A* to C in mathematics GCSE and
	(g) A* to C in both English and mathematics GCSE.
	Pursuant to my answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 398-400W, PQ 136141, the tables provided give national figures for boys and girls, in each ethnic group in England, who did not have statements of special educational needs, by free school meal eligibility, whom did not achieve an A* to C grade in (i) English GCSE, (ii) mathematics GCSE and (iii) English and mathematics GCSE for 2010/11.

GCSE

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total cost was of his Department's consultation on reform of GCSEs; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 14 February 2013
	The Reforming Key Stage 4 Qualification Consultation involved a number of activities including the publication of formal consultation documents, meetings with interested parties/listening events, online communications and analysis of the evidence gathered.
	It is standard practice for the Department for Education to evaluate policy proposals through consultation. The specific information requested is not collated on a central basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Government Procurement Card

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the mean average spend using a Government procurement card was per member of staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its arm’s length bodies in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012.

Elizabeth Truss: The answer is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			  DFE OCC CAFCASS 
			 2012 1,094 6,070 1,418 
			 2011 821 4,597 1,702 
		
	
	As part of the closure of ALBs on or before March 2012, the Department put in place arrangements to capture and maintain the minimum amount of information to satisfy statutory requirements. In respect of the ALBs that have now closed, we no longer hold information at the requested level of granularity.

Grievance Procedures

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many formal complaints his Department has received about the conduct of special advisers in his Department since May 2010 from (a) other members of staff, (b) officials from other departments and (c) members of the public;
	(2)  how many formal grievance procedures by staff have taken place in his Department in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many grievance procedures by staff in his Department have resulted in payments to those staff in each of the last five years; and what the size of each such payment was.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 14 February 2013
	The Department has received one formal complaint about a special adviser that was not upheld. The Department has not received any other formal complaints from officials from other Departments, or members of the public about special advisers.
	The Department has a clear policy and expects grievances to be resolved by managers without HR involvement where possible. The number of grievances that have been escalated to HR from employees over the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of grievances 
			 2008 8 
			 2009 18 
			 2010 (1)— 
			 2011 5 
			 2012 16 
			 (1) Less than five. 
		
	
	There have been no payoffs as an outcome of an internal grievance being upheld.

Grievance Procedures

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the procedure is for reporting (a) grievance procedures and (b) payoffs resulting from grievance procedures to his Department's Education Board; and on which dates these matters were referred to in papers circulated to the Board or discussed at the Board.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 13 February 2013
	The Department's Grievance policy and procedure are available to staff on the Department's intranet. A financial payoff is not an outcome of the internal grievance procedure, although there may be occasions where an employee is in dispute with the Department and the two parties reach a settlement.
	Neither grievances nor settlements are reported at Board level due to their personal and confidential nature. All decisions on settlements are taken by the HR Director reporting to the Permanent Secretary as Accounting Officer. They are reported in the end of year financial accounts and are anonymised.

Health Education: Sex

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on providing age-related guidance for sex and relationship education in primary schools.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 14 February 2013
	Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) is a not a statutory subject in primary schools. However, if primary schools choose to teach SRE they must have regard to the Secretary of State's Sex and Relationships Guidance, which, among other things, ensures that such teaching is age-appropriate.

Home Education

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education who is responsible for the safeguarding and security of home schooled children.

Edward Timpson: The safeguarding and security of children who are receiving home education is the responsibility of their parents. This includes ensuring that any other person involved in providing the children's education has undergone appropriate checks. Local authorities have a duty under s. 175(1) of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and this applies equally to children educated at school, at home, and in other settings.

ICT: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage the teaching of computer coding in schools.

Elizabeth Truss: On 7 February the Government published proposals for the reform of the national curriculum for consultation. These include a proposal to replace the existing, outdated and discredited ICT curriculum with a new, ambitious computing curriculum at all four key stages. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this will mean that all maintained schools will be required to teach practical programming from September 2014.
	The recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), that GCSE computer science is to be part of the EBacc performance measure from 2014 will also strengthen the teaching of computer programming in schools. These changes will support progress to higher-level study and professional careers in this field.

Ofsted

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the power of Ofsted to monitor and report as a standard part of all inspections on the quality and sustainability of the provision made by local authorities for older children.

David Laws: holding answer 11 February 2013
	All Ofsted inspection frameworks are clearly focused to assess the quality of provision for children and young people, including vulnerable groups. We have regular discussions with Ofsted to ensure that all inspection frameworks adequately reflect relevant Government policy.
	A number of changes to the inspection of children's social care services, that protect and promote the welfare of children in need and children in care, have taken place over the last six months. Two new inspection programmes are planned in 2013. They are the 'Joint-inspection of multi-agency arrangements for the protection of children' and the 'Inspection of services for children looked after and care leavers'. These will examine in particular how local authorities exercise their role as lead partners in protecting children, and acting as corporate parents.

Primary Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average number of forms of entry is of primary schools in England and Wales.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not collect information on the number of forms of entry in primary schools centrally.
	The number of pupils in state-funded mainstream primary schools in England is published as part of the Statistical First Release “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012”. This is available on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001071/index.shtml
	The proportion of state-funded mainstream primary schools by the number of pupils in Year 1 (headcount) is set out in the following table. The maximum class size for Year 1 pupils in most circumstances is 30.
	
		
			 Number of Year 1 pupils Percentage of all schools 
			 1-30 52.8 
			 31-60 37.1 
			 61-90 8.6 
			 91 or more 1.5 
			 Coverage: All state-funded mainstream primary schools with at least one pupil in Year 1 (15,508 schools). Source: School Census, January 2012. 
		
	
	Education in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

Publications

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his private ministerial office has spent on subscriptions to (a) the New York Review of Books and (b) the Times Educational Supplement in the last 12 months.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 12 July 2012
	The annual subscription costs are not held in such a way that the costs for specific publications can be separately identified.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Brigg and Goole constituency received funding from the pupil premium in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and how much such funding schools in Brigg and Goole constituency will receive in 2013-14.

David Laws: holding answer 11 February 2013
	The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the Deprivation Premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the Looked After Child Premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the Service Child Premium).
	In the financial year 2011-12, Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency attracted £645,000 Pupil Premium funding in respect of 1,340 pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium. It is not possible to identify, at constituency level, the number of pupils eligible for the Looked After Child Premium or the number of pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium in Alternative Provision settings.
	In the financial year 2012-13, eligibility for Pupil Premium was extended and Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency attracted £1,380,000 Pupil Premium funding in respect of 2,240 pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium.
	The Pupil Premium will increase from £623 to £900 per pupil in 2013-14 and the Service Premium will increase from £250 to £300 per pupil. Illustrative allocations, based on numbers of pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium in 2012, suggest that Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency will attract around £1,991,000 Pupil Premium funding in 2013-14. Final allocations for 2013-14 based on 2013 pupil numbers will be published later this year.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the report by Sir Michael Wilshaw on the pupil premium, what additional measures his Department is taking to ensure that the pupil premium effectively reaches the poorest pupils.

David Laws: The Government is absolutely determined to close attainment gaps between disadvantaged children and their peers. The pupil premium is the means by which we provide schools with additional support to raise the attainment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our investment will be £900 per pupil in 2013-14, and will rise further to £2.5 billion overall in 2014-15.
	The allocation of the pupil premium to schools corresponds to numbers of pupils who have been looked after in public care for more than six months in the year, or known to have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time during the past six years (“Ever 6 FSM”). These are our best available objective indicators of the disadvantage faced by individual children: the strong correlation between FSM eligibility and under-achievement suggests that using these criteria helps to channel funding to those pupils who need it most. As we are able to identify these children from school and local authority census returns, FSM eligibility is the best indicator of disadvantage available. Notwithstanding these benefits, we recognise that there remain some problems in using FSM to determine a school's pupil premium budget. The first is that not all families claim their entitlement to FSMs; we also know that some poor families are not entitled to FSMs because they receive working tax credit. Our expansion of pupil premium eligibility to include the Ever 6 FSM measure is designed to help overcome both problems, and we are also reforming the benefits system, through universal credit, in order to address the second issue.
	The Government is also committed to increasing the take-up of free school meals for all pupils who are entitled to them. We are doing all we can to ensure that disadvantaged children benefit from a nutritious meal, and are pleased that take-up increased nationally by 60,000 between 2010 and 2012. The Department's website suggests ways to encourage parents to register their child's eligibility for free school meals:
	www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium/ppfaas/a0076064/free-school-meals-faqs
	We have made registration easier, by streamlining the application process and developing an online FSM Eligibility Checking Service (ECS). The ECS allows local authorities to establish a family's free school meal eligibility quickly, by checking data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the Home Office. We are encouraging local authorities to increase their use of this resource, which, as well as reducing bureaucracy and cost at a local level, encourages more parents to sign up their children for a free school lunch. For those authorities that choose to use it, the ECS allows parents to check their own eligibility and apply for FSM online—all without the stigma of applying through school or local authority administrative staff.
	In November 2012, we further encouraged FSM take-up by drawing local authorities' attention to the Government's research report, ‘Pupils not claiming free school meals’. The report looked at take-up of FSM by different local authorities and found registration ranges between 67% and 100%, with around 14% of the 1.4 million children aged four to 15 in England entitled to receive FSM but not claiming them. This represents 21% of children nationally, around 200,000 pupils.
	The Government welcomes Ofsted's most recent report in February 2012 on the pupil premium, its case studies showing how schools are using the premium to close attainment gaps, and its accompanying analytical toolkit. Sir Michael Wilshaw's analysis of the characteristic features of good and poor practice is extremely important, and should be studied carefully by all school leaders. One of his observations is that effective schools “carefully ring-fenced their funding so that they always spent it on the target group of pupils”. Where schools do this, it will enable them to provide better outcomes for their disadvantaged pupils, and help schools in responding to constructive dialogue on closing attainment gaps with their inspectors.

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to the public purse was of support staff in schools for children whose first language is not English in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Laws: The Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for each local authority and its schools to determine locally the level of funding for each of its services, based on local circumstances.

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children whose first language is not English attend (a) primary and (b) secondary school.

David Laws: The information requested has been published in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012’ Statistical First Release at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/datasets/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
	Table 5a shows the number and percentage of pupils by first language in state-funded primary and state-funded secondary schools.

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the quality of education in classes where there are children who have very limited knowledge of English.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government's priority for children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) is to promote rapid language acquisition and include them in mainstream education as quickly as possible. Internal analysis undertaken in 2009, a copy of which has been placed in the House Libraries, found that the proportion of EAL pupils in a school does not appear to have an effect on the performance of non-EAL pupils when prior attainment and contextual factors, such as deprivation and ethnicity, are taken into account. This analysis was based on the National Pupil Database and focused on outcomes at the end of key stage four.
	Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure that education is available for all children of compulsory school age that is appropriate to their age, ability, aptitudes and any special educational needs they may have. This duty applies irrespective of a child's immigration status, country of origin or rights of residence in a particular area.
	Under the new Ofsted framework schools are held accountable for the progress and attainment of all their pupils. This means that schools need to consider the data on all groups and individuals (including attainment, progression, behaviour and attendance), with a particular emphasis on how well gaps are narrowing between the performance of different groups of pupils in the school, including EAL pupils and compared to pupils nationally.

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils for whom English is a second language there are in schools in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

David Laws: holding answer 14 February 2013
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	The latest information on first language has been published as part of the 'Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012' Statistical First Release at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
	
		
			 All schools(1): Number and percentage of pupils by first language(2, 3) January 2012 
			  Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English(4) Number of pupils whose first language is known to be English Percentage of pupils whose first language is known to be English(4) Unclassified(5) Percentage unclassified(4) Total(3) 
			 England 1,007,095 15.2 5,616,845 84.6 16,235 0.2 6,640,175 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber region 87,370 12.9 587,725 87.0 815 0.1 675,910 
			 Brigg and Goole constituency 313 3.0 10,254 97.0 0 0.0 10,565 
			 (1) Includes maintained primary schools, primary academies including free-schools, maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges, secondary academies including free schools, maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies and pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils who are registered with other providers and further education colleges. (3) Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified by first language. (4) The number of pupils by their first language expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils of compulsory school age and above. (5) Information was not sought or refused, also includes pupils where classification of first language is pending. Note: National and regional numbers and all totals have been rounded to the nearest 5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. Source: School Census

Pupils: Languages

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many pupils in schools in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency English is a second language.

David Laws: The information requested is shown in the table.
	The latest information on first language has been published as part of the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012' Statistical First Release at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
	
		
			 All schools(1): Number and percentage of pupils by first language(2, 3) January 2012 
			  Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English(4) Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be English Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be English(4) Unclassified(5) Percentage unclassified(4) Total(3) 
			 England 1,007,095 15.2 5,616,845 84.6 16,235 0.2 6,640,175 
		
	
	
		
			 City of Kingston Upon Hull local authority 2,608 8.8 27,064 91.2 7 0.0 29,680 
			 Kingston upon Hull North constituency 1,186 11.3 9,314 88.7 5 0.0 10,505 
			 (1) Includes maintained primary schools, primary academies including free schools, maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges, secondary academies including free schools, maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies arid pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils who are registered with other providers and further education colleges. (3) Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified by first language. (4) The number of pupils by their first language expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils of compulsory school age and above. (5) Information was not sought or refused, also includes pupils where classification of first language is pending. Note: National numbers and all totals have been rounded to the nearest 5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. Source: School Census

Pupils: Leave

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will provide guidance to schools on tailoring their policy with regard to study leave for students taking end of year examinations at 16 years old to ensure that students who would benefit from study leave receive it, and students who would not benefit from study leave can remain in school.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 11 February 2013
	The Department for Education has no plans to provide guidance to schools with regard to study leave for students taking end of year examinations at 16.

Reading: Teaching Methods

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has provided to the year one phonics screening check to date;
	(2)  how many meetings he had with teaching unions about the introduction of the year one phonics screening check before its introduction;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the year one phonics screening check.

Elizabeth Truss: The costs of developing and piloting the phonics screening check in 2011 were £300,000. The independent evaluation of the pilot cost an additional £75,000. Delivering the national roll-out of the phonics screening check in June 2012 cost £600,000. We have committed a further £280,000 for a three-year, independent evaluation of the national roll-out.
	Ministers and officials have consulted with teacher unions, notably NAHT, on many occasions during the design and implementation of the check, including at Education Forum meetings where the phonics check is raised regularly.
	The check was piloted with 300 schools in 2011, and an independent evaluation was carried out by Sheffield Hallam university. Following national roll-out in 2012, we have commissioned NFER to evaluate the check over a period of three years. NFER will be looking at administration of the check, and its effect on the teaching of phonics and wider literacy in schools.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Elizabeth Truss: In the period 1 June 2012 to 31 January 2013, the Department for Education revoked nine sets of regulations. The Government's aim is to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy on teachers, heads and governors so that they can focus on raising standards, rather than administrative tasks. It is not our intention to estimate the potential cost savings for the revoked regulations; our focus is on making a difference on the ground by reducing unnecessary burdens on our stakeholders and the wider sector and there is no current intention to estimate or measure savings for these revoked regulations.
	Details of which regulations have been revoked are set out in the following table. However, as indicated in the third column of the table, in some cases the content of the revoked statutory instrument has been largely replaced.
	
		
			 Reference Title of revoked instrument Comments 
			 2009/1508 The Childcare (Inspections) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 — 
			 2010/1920 The Education (Short Stay Schools) (Closure) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 — 
			 2011/1917 The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Order 2011 Replaced by similar Order in 2012 
			 2010/344 The Schools Forums (England) Regulations 2010 Replaced by School Forum Regulations 2012 
			 2008/1724 The Local Authority (Duty to Secure Early Years Provision Free of Charge) Regulations 2008 Replaced by 2012 Regulations 
			 2010/301 The Local Authority (Duty to Secure Early Years Provision Free of Charge) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 As above 
			 2004/3130 The Financing of Maintained Schools (England) Regulations 2004 Replaced by School and Early Years Finance Regulations 2012 
			 2011/371 The School Finance (England) Regulations 2011 As above 
			 2011/778 The School Finance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2011 As above

Royal National College for the Blind

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's funding to the Royal National College for the Blind; and what plans he has for future funding.

David Laws: The Department for Education through the Education Funding Agency currently funds approximately 80 placements for young people aged 16 to 25 with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford. The total placement funding for these 80 young people in relation to 2012/13 academic year is £3.3 million. These placements have been commissioned by local authorities to meet the education, training and support needs for the young people as outlined within their learning difficulty assessment.
	The Education Funding Agency undertakes annual moderation of institution accounts to monitor their financial health. The Royal National College for the Blind is assessed as low risk and the Education Funding Agency has no concerns about the college's financial health. My assessment is that the college is adequately funded by the Department for the challenging work it does with those young people who require its specialist services.
	From 2013/14 new funding arrangements are being implemented for the college and similar specialist institutions. These arrangements will support the Government's plans to introduce a more integrated approach to assessment and planning for young people with special educational needs from birth to age 25. Local authorities will continue to commission placements at the college for local young people following assessment, and will in future also provide the majority of the college's funding for each student.

School Milk

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children receive free milk at school.

David Laws: The Department does not collect this information.
	Schools and nurseries are not required to provide drinking milk to their pupils, but can choose to do so if they wish. The Department of Health's Nursery Milk Scheme provides free milk to children under the age of five in child care settings, including nurseries.
	For children over the age of five attending schools or Academies, where the school chooses to provide milk, it must be provided free of charge to pupils who are eligible for free school meals. Schools can charge all other pupils for any milk provided.
	Schools which choose to provide milk can also participate in the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme, which reduces the cost of the milk to parents.

Schools: Sports

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to maintain minimum standards of physical education in schools in respect of (a) the amount of time schools allocate and (b) the quality of lessons; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The law specifically prevents the Secretary of State for Education from telling schools how much time they should devote to Physical Education (PE), or to any other subject. This is for schools to decide, by using their professional judgment.
	We are currently exploring a range of measures to improve the quality of PE, including improving the quality of teaching, and we will be making an announcement shortly.

Schools: Sports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote the playing of traditional British sports in schools.

Edward Timpson: We published draft programmes of study for all National Curriculum subjects for consultation on 7 February. Our new National Curriculum sets high expectations, and in physical education it aims to ensure that all pupils play a range of competitive sports. Examples given in the draft programme of study of traditional sports that schools can teach include football, cricket, hockey, netball and rugby.
	In addition, we are working with other Government Departments to explore a range of options to build on the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to help to create a sporting habit for life for young people. An announcement will be made shortly.

Secondment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any staff in his private office are on secondment.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 12 February 2013
	None of the staff in the Private Office of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), are on secondment.

Sixth Form Colleges: VAT

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the level of VAT payable by sixth form colleges.

David Laws: holding answer 18 June 2012
	There has been no direct contact between Ministers in the Department for Education and the Treasury on this matter, but officials in both Departments are looking into this complex issue. We are committed to a fairer and more transparent funding system for 16-19 education.

Social Workers: Training

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  when he will publish the evaluation of the Step Up to Social Work pilots;
	(2)  what changes he has made to the Step Up to Social Work courses.

Edward Timpson: The first evaluation reports on the Step Up to Social Work scheme are currently being finalised and we expect to publish them shortly. The evaluation follows the first Step Up cohort from the start of training in September 2010 to their early experiences in qualified practice up to November 2012.
	The evaluation has informed two substantive changes to the recently announced third cohort of Step Up:
	We are returning to a centrally run, national recruitment model similar to that used for cohort 1 to ensure the scheme attracts the very best participants.
	The qualifying award at the end of the programme will be a postgraduate diploma, removing the previous requirement for participants to commit substantial time at the end of their training to production of a dissertation, and enabling an earlier move into frontline practice.

Social Workers: Training

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish details of the contract tendering process for the Frontline Social Work Programme.

Edward Timpson: No decision on the contract tendering process has been reached.

Special Educational Needs

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what support his Department provides to schools in rural communities to encourage provision for children with special educational needs during school holidays.

Edward Timpson: As a general principle the Government aims to give schools as much freedom as possible to take their own decisions on how best to use the funding and resources at their disposal.
	In addition, the Government has committed over £800 million for local authorities to invest in short breaks for disabled children between April 2011 and March 2015 through grants which are not ring-fenced. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, an additional £40 million of capital funding per annum was also made available to local authorities to invest in short breaks equipment and infrastructure. Although not specifically targeted at rural areas, this contributes significantly to making sure these vital opportunities are available across the country.

Special Educational Needs

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions to local authority budgets on the ability of services included in local offers to be delivered.

Edward Timpson: The Government published the Children and Families Bill in February 2013. This includes proposals for local authorities in England to publish a local offer of services for children and young people with special educational needs, including those who are disabled. The local offer would enable families to see readily what they can expect from mainstream services across education, health and social care; how to access more specialist support; how decisions are made including eligibility criteria for accessing services where appropriate; and how to complain or appeal.
	It would be for local authorities to assess local needs and make sure that appropriate resources are directed to meet them. Local authorities would be required to involve local children, young people and families in discussions about the content of the local offer and about developing the services that are available in their area. This would ensure that their needs and aspirations are taken into account.
	The local offer is designed to reflect the services that are available from within existing local resources. Clearer local information on the support that is readily available for families from mainstream services could help reduce the need for parents to invest time and energy in seeking assessments and making appeals to Tribunal in order to get the right support, as well as saving local authorities and local services the expense of this process. The legislation would also require local authorities and health bodies to work together to plan and commission services for children and young people with SEN. This would make better use of all available resources.

Special Educational Needs

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that the needs of pupils currently on School Action and School Action Plus programmes will be met by the local offer.

Edward Timpson: The Government published the Children and Families Bill in February 2013. This includes proposals for local authorities in England to publish a local offer of services for children and young people with special educational needs, including those who are disabled. The local offer would enable families to see readily what they can expect from mainstream services across education, health and social care; how to access more specialist support; how decisions are made including eligibility criteria for accessing services where appropriate; and how to complain or appeal. Local authorities would be required to involve local children, young people and families in developing their local offer to ensure that their needs, and aspirations are taken into account.
	Detailed requirements for the local offer will be set out in regulations. These requirements will be informed by the learning and effective practice developed by the pathfinders. They will include information about provision available in mainstream educational settings to support all pupils with special educational needs including those without statements or Education, Health and Care plans.

Special Educational Needs

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  when he expects to publish (a) the regulations concerning the approval of independent special schools and special post-16 institutions as specified in Clause 41 of the Children and Families Bill and (b) a policy statement on this matter; and whether such regulations will be subject to a public consultation;
	(2)  when he expects to publish (a) the regulations concerning the preparation, content and maintenance of Education, Health and Care Plans as specified in Clause 37 of the Children and Families Bill and (b) a policy statement on this matter; and whether such regulations will be subject to a public consultation;
	(3)  when he expects to publish the Code of Practice specified in Clause 66 of the Children and Families Bill, or a policy statement regarding the same; and whether the Code of Practice will be subject to a public consultation;
	(4)  when he expects to publish (a) the regulations governing local offers specified in Clause 30 of the Children and Families Bill and (b) a policy statement on this matter; and whether such regulations will be subject to a public consultation.

Edward Timpson: Information about the proposed content of regulations associated with the Children and Families Bill and the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice will be provided for Parliament in time for its consideration of the relevant clauses of the Bill in Committee.
	Full drafts of the Regulations and the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice will be developed during the passage of the Bill in light of the parliamentary debates, drawing on learning from the 20 local pathfinders established to test the Government's special educational needs reforms, and comments from interested parties. Final drafts will then be published in the autumn for formal public consultation.

Special Educational Needs

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of education funding reforms on independent specialist providers.

David Laws: The funding reforms will enable education, health and social care budgets to be brought together for high needs students, and pave the way for students or their parents to hold personalised budgets and to have a new legal right to express a preference for provision that best meets their needs. These reforms will increase opportunities for high quality responsive specialist providers to attract students and the associated funding.
	Independent specialist providers for students aged 16 or above will need to agree funding rates with their students' home local authorities. We expect local authorities to acknowledge the valuable contribution that such colleges make in providing the kind of specialist support that some students require at this age if they are to continue their education. As students' places for this autumn are generally not confirmed at this stage in the year it is too early to assess the impact of these changes on providers' student numbers and income for the academic year starting in September 2013. We will monitor the impact of the changes as the year progresses and the Education Funding Agency is prepared to intervene if the viability of any institution is under threat.

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the full-time equivalent headcount was of officials in the Safeguarding department of his Department in (a) May 2010 and (b) January 2013; and what future such headcount is projected for the period up to the end of the redundancy programme in May 2015.

Edward Timpson: The Safeguarding Group had 75.74 full-time equivalents in May 2010. In January 2013, the Safeguarding Group had 75.0. The Department's business planning process is on-going and figures for 2015 are still to be confirmed and will be kept under review.

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the full-time equivalent headcount was of officials in the Children, Young People and Family division of his Department in (a) May 2010 and (b) January 2013; and what future such headcount is projected for the period up to the end of the redundancy programme in May 2015.

Edward Timpson: Children, Young People and Families Directorate had 460.96 full-time equivalents in May 2010. In December 2012, Children, Young People and Families Directorate became the Children's Services and Departmental Strategy Directorate. This directorate had 717.1 full-time equivalent staff in January 2013. The Department's business planning process is ongoing and figures for 2015 are still to be confirmed and will be kept under review.

Teachers

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a Minister from his Department will attend the 3rd OECD/EI International Summit on the Teaching Profession 2013. [R]

David Laws: No Minister from the Department for Education is able to attend the third OECD/EI International Summit on the Teaching Profession in the Netherlands on 13/14 March 2013.
	In 2012, the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes) attended the summit, as did the Secretary of State for Education in 2011. Both summits were held in New York.

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what weight will be given to a school's ability to find suitable long-term employment for its teacher trainees in the allocation of future teacher training places.

David Laws: holding answer 11 February 2013
	The School Direct training and salaried teacher training routes provide the means for schools in England to recruit and select the trainees that they think will best meet their school partnership staffing needs.
	In determining how many School Direct places to request, schools should have reviewed their previous employment patterns and use any current knowledge on staffing/budgetary issues to make an assessment of future need. This assessment should enable schools to request a number of places that broadly matches the future employment requirements within the school or partnership of schools where the trainee will be based. The Teaching Agency expects the school or partnership of schools to have a clear capacity to employ the trainees when they successfully complete their training programme.
	Naturally there will be occasional circumstances that prevent a trainee taking up employment in one of those schools (such as not completing the course, changes to the school structure, outside factors, personal preference) but it should be the school's intention to retain the teachers, based on a reasonable expectation of there being a teaching vacancy.
	When assessing future requests from schools for School Direct places, the Teaching Agency may consider how successful the school's previous School Direct trainees have been in securing employment and prioritise schools that have high employment rates.

Travel

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published in the annual written ministerial statements which can be found at:
	2009/10:
	http://tinyurl.com/cel89qy
	2010/11:
	http://tinyurl.com/c4qotuu
	2011/12:
	http://tinyurl.com/c8z38ll
	These details are available in the Libraries of both Houses, with the exception of the cost for 2012-13 which will be published later this year.
	The announcement by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond), in 2012, sets out the continuing reduction in the amount spent on official cars for Ministers, available at:
	http://tinyurl.com/d3e4h44
	The departmental spend on taxi and car services for ministerial travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

UK Council for Child Internet Safety

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many whole-time equivalent officials in his Department worked on the UK Council of Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) in (a) May 2010 and (b) January 2013; and how many such officials are projected to work on the UKCCIS until the redundancy programme in May 2015;
	(2)  what the current budget is for the UK Council of Child Internet Safety's department; and what its projected budget is for each year to 2015;
	(3)  what the future work programme is of the UK Council of Child Internet Safety.

Edward Timpson: In May 2010 the staff resource for child internet safety in the Department, including the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) secretariat, was approximately five full-time equivalent staff. In addition, other parts of Government provided staff to the Department for Education to support the work, including two part-time staff, one temporary member of staff, and one seconded, part-time member of staff.
	In January 2013 there were approximately seven full-time equivalent staff in the Department for Education working on child internet safety. None of these is currently provided by other Government Departments. However, as child internet safety is a cross-Government priority, officials from the Department for Education work collaboratively with officials from the Home Office and DCMS. The Department's business planning process is ongoing and figures for 2015 are still to be confirmed and will be kept under review.
	The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) is an umbrella group with membership open to any organisation concerned with improving child internet safety. Members agree to pursue the aims and objectives of UKCCIS. The Government strategically directs, supports and promotes the work of UKCCIS, but it is the members of UKCCIS who take action forward, supported by a secretariat at the Department for Education. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety does not, therefore, directly manage a budget. The Department is currently undertaking comprehensive business planning to determine its priorities and appropriate resources for the period 2013-14 to 2015-16.
	The future work programme of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) will be determined by the UKCCIS Executive Board, chaired by three Ministers—the Minister for Crime Prevention, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), and myself. The UKCCIS Executive Board keeps the priorities for improving child internet safety under review, and details of the work of UKCCIS members and their achievements are published on the UKCCIS website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/ukccis

Vocational Guidance

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to encourage young people to pursue careers in science and engineering industries.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 11 February 2013
	The Government is committed to finding ways to ensure that young people have the opportunity to engage with science subjects, and pursue science and engineering careers, especially among under-represented groups; such as girls and those living in disadvantaged areas. The key to encouraging more young people to take up such careers is to ensure that they are inspired by, and achieve well in, science and technology at school. To encourage this, the Government is investing up to £135 million over the current spending review period to support schools to improve the quality and provision of science teaching. This includes: high quality professional development opportunities; subject knowledge enhancement courses for pre-Initial Teacher Training graduates and teachers without a specialist science qualification; and support for schools to improve participation in GCSE triple science and A level physics. Science GCSEs are also included in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). This is promoting and increasing the number of pupils with science GCSEs, and in turn there is an increase in pupils who progress to take science and physics at A level. For young people wishing to pursue a career in engineering, in November 2012 the Chancellor announced that the Government will be supporting the Royal Academy of Engineering to develop a series of new Engineering qualifications at KS4. These qualifications are for inclusion within the ‘Wolf’ list of high value non-GCSE qualifications to be taught from 2014 and reported in school performance tables from 2016. In addition, physics, which is a key foundation for science and engineering study at university and for many science and engineering careers, is being supported through the Stimulating Physics Network.

Young People: Sports

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the occasions on which his Department has met other Government Departments or outside bodies to discuss the Government's youth sport strategy to create a sporting habit for life; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), met the Minister of State for Sport and Tourism on 28 February 2012 to discuss the youth sport strategy. Since then officials from the Department for Education have had regular meetings with their counterparts in the Departments for Health and for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss a range of issues relating specifically to youth sport strategy.

Young People: Unemployment

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the arrangements being made by local authorities to stay in contact with 16 to 18 year olds not in employment, education or training; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The Department published statutory guidance in 2011 that made clear local authorities' role in tracking young people's participation, and identifying those who were not in education, employment or training. To ensure the transparency of information and increase accountability, the Department makes available on its website data about the proportion of young people whose activity is not known by the local authority.
	The proportion of young people whose activity is not known to local authorities is too high. The Department wrote to Directors of Children's Services in 35 local areas in early 2012 to draw their attention to their high 'not known' rates, followed by individual, visits to the five areas of most concern. This approach will continue in 2013 as part of our wider improvement support arrangements. The Department is also supporting a number of local authorities to develop their arrangements for tracking young people's participation, and events to promote and disseminate effective practice are planned for spring 2013.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government takes the health of its staff seriously. We have an internal alcohol policy and take a positive approach to the treatment of problems caused by alcohol abuse. Individuals are supported by their line manager to seek medical and counselling support and may be referred to our occupational health provider. Counselling is available through our Employee Assistance Provider.
	Our sickness absence recording system does not enable us to identify cases of alcohol-related absenteeism. However, high levels of short-term absence are followed up by our Advisory team. The Advisory team would be made aware, by the line manager, of any alcohol abuse that had affected an individual's absence—or conduct or performance—at work.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

Brandon Lewis: The total floor area (including areas sub-let to other occupiers) of properties currently used by the Department for Communities and Local Government is 63,346 square metres.
	The area occupied by the Department's staff is 20,485 square metres. This equates to 11.96 square metres for each full-time equivalent post.
	The Department is currently planning a number of disposals and consolidations across its estate and as well as reducing costs these will improve the square metres per full-time equivalent ratio. We are also seeking to sub-let out more of our office space, which will further improve the ratio.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government currently occupies the 19 properties listed in the following table.
	
		
			 Property Tenure Lease break/end Total floor area (m(2)) 
			 Princes Parade, Liverpool Leasehold 17 May 2015 212.00 
			 Arpley House, Warrington Leasehold Break 1 July2013 End 1 July 2016 407.60 
			 Ashdown House North, Hastings Leasehold 31 March 2015 418.20 
			 Bridge House, Guildford Leasehold 1 October 2015—DCLG plan to vacate in 2015 3,587.60 
			 Rivergate House, Bristol Leasehold 24 March 2022—DCLG plan to vacate and dispose of lease in the next three years 6,440.00 
			 Citygate, Newcastle upon Tyne Leasehold 1 August 2019 6,095.00 
			 Cumberland Place, Nottingham Leasehold 15 May 2015 323.40 
			 Eastbrook House, Cambridge Leasehold Break 1 March 2018 End 1 March 2033—DCLG plan to operate the break and vacate in March 2018 4,691.50 
			 Eland House, Central London Leasehold Break 25 November 2016 End 20 November 2020—DCLG plan to vacate on 2016 break option or before via lease surrender 23,002.00 
			 Hempstead House, Hemel Hempstead Leasehold 15 April 2013 1,816.20 
			 Lateral, Leeds Leasehold 14 February 2022 5,612.00 
			 Longbrook House, Exeter Leasehold 31 March 2014 135.00 
			 Lysnoweth, Infirmary Hill, Truro Leasehold 31 March 2014—DCLG plan to vacate on lease expiry in 2014 116.00 
			 Mast House, Plymouth Leasehold Break 25 May 2016 End 24 May 2021—DCLG plan to vacate in 2013 via lease surrender 1,645.60 
			 Fire Service College, Moreton in Marsh Freehold/feuhold/fee simple DCLG plan to dispose in 2013 1,401.00 
			 Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Leasehold 4 January 2015 941.70 
			 St Philips Place, Birmingham Leasehold 22 December 2020 6,024.00 
			 Temple Quay House, Bristol Leasehold 24 March 2021 400.40 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold Break 30 June 2014 End 30 June 2016—DCLG plan to operate break option in 2014 77.00 
		
	
	Over the last 18 months, the Department has had considerable success in reducing the cost of its estate through consolidation and targeted building disposals. This has seen the Department surrender four leasehold office properties through a combination of lease breaks and lease expiries as well as an administrative transfer of a property to another Government Department. This has generated net savings of £6.5 million net per annum over that period. The Department has also successfully sublet surplus space across their leasehold office estate over the same period, reducing the overall property cost by approximately £6.44 million via additional tenant income. At Eland house in Victoria, we have sublet space to Ofwat, the Department for Transport and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency—as well as providing space for a pop-up shop operated by StartUp Britain.

Council Tax

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been allocated to each unitary and district council to fund a council tax scheme from April 2013; and what formula is being used to calculate those allocations.

Brandon Lewis: I assume the hon. Member is referring to council tax support schemes. £3.3 billion has been allocated to local authorities in respect of local council tax support. The individual allocations were published with the Local Government Settlement. The process for calculating the individual allocations was set out in detail in the ‘Localising Council Tax Support Funding Allocations Consultation’ last May.

Council Tax Benefits

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to councils regarding devising schemes for administering council tax benefit from April 2013.

Brandon Lewis: We have taken a number of steps to ensure local authorities are well placed to implement local council tax support schemes in April 2013:
	We have ensured local authorities received early notice of the requirements of secondary legislation. We published a statement of intent in May, setting out in detail what would be covered by secondary legislation; published draft regulations on the default scheme and prescribed requirements in July for comment; and have laid regulations on the default scheme and prescribed requirements (and an associated uprating instrument), the council tax base, administration and enforcement, transitional arrangements, fraud and contracting out.
	We have provided advice and guidance on a range of issues including work incentives, local authorities' responsibilities in relation to vulnerable groups, the transition grant, administration of support within the council tax system, and the operation of the default scheme in relation to people receiving universal credit.
	We have also provided information to help local authorities consider the financial implications of their schemes. This has included a design tool to help local authorities analyse the impact of scheme options; a funding consultation, which provided provisional funding allocations for all authorities; a consultation on the business rates scheme, setting out how allocations to local authorities would be calculated in 2014-15; a consultation and Government response on the council tax base and funding for local precepting authorities; transition grant criteria and allocations; and final funding allocations, which were issued as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
	We have supported regular communication to and between local authorities, including by providing regular email policy updates to Chief Finance Officers and other interested officials, and hosting two national events for local authorities to share experience and issues.

Departmental Responsibilities

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation.

Brandon Lewis: This question can be answered only at disproportionate cost.
	To answer this question would require trawling through all of the current statutes and to form an assessment of the annual cost of delivering each of the core statutory obligations.

Families: Disadvantaged

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the prevalence is of (a) alcohol abuse and (b) other substance abuse amongst families involved in the Troubled Families programme.

Brandon Lewis: Figures about the prevalence of alcohol and other substance abuse specifically among families involved in the Troubled Families programme are not currently available. However, national and local monitoring and evaluation of the programme will collect this information in due course.
	A recent report by Louise Casey ‘Listening to Troubled Families' outlined how the families she interviewed were often struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, among a range of other problems.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Brandon Lewis: Neither the Department for Communities and Local Government or its facilities management contractor throw away surplus food. Any food waste that is generated is a by-product of meal preparation and food consumption, such as vegetable peelings and plate scrapings. All food waste is then separated and sent to a waste treatment facility to produce energy from waste.

Fracking

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the costs of decommissioning fracking sites are.

Nicholas Boles: Costs of decommissioning sites will vary on a site-by-site basis. My Department does not hold any information on the costs of decommissioning tracking sites in the UK.

Fracking

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what correspondence he has had with local authorities regarding fracking and the provision of section 106 agreements to cover the decommissioning costs.

Nicholas Boles: We have had no such correspondence with local planning authorities on fracking and section 106 agreements.
	The National Planning Policy Framework and its accompanying technical guide make it clear that, in exceptional circumstances, mineral planning authorities may seek a financial guarantee to cover restoration (including aftercare) costs at a time a planning permission is given. Such guarantees may be given, for instance, through a bond or section 106 agreement.

Fracking

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities regarding permissions and agreements with regard to the decommissioning of fracking sites.

Nicholas Boles: Schedule 5 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 gives minerals planning authorities the power to impose planning conditions on mineral operators to provide for site restoration and aftercare with their application for minerals extraction (including shale gas). This is to ensure clearance of equipment and for proper restoration of the site once operations have ceased. For sites that are to be returned to agriculture, forestry or amenity purposes, there is an obligation on the mineral operator to look after the site for a maximum period of five years once restoration has been completed. Planned restoration for other uses may require a separate planning permission.
	The Government will consider the need for additional guidance as part of Lord Taylor of Goss Moor's review of existing planning practice guidance.

Government Procurement Card

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to Lord Bates of 19 October 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA489, on government departments: procurement, which government procurement card transactions from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005-06 were made by a cardholder who was then based in the private office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 8 November 2013
	A copy of all Government Procurement Card transactions made by the Ministerial Group as a whole from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the period in 2005-06 has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Government Procurement Card

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the mean average spend using a Government Procurement Card was per member of staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its arm's length bodies in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012.

Brandon Lewis: The following table sets out a comparison for the mean average spend per member of staff against the Government Procurement Card expenditure from 2008-09 onwards. This shows a continuing reduction in expenditure over the years.
	
		
			 Nearest (£) 
			 Organisation 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Main      
			 DCLG Central 284 155 105 38 10 
			       
			 Arm’s length bodies      
			 Homes and Communities Agency (1)701 2,295 1,256 978 736 
			 Planning Inspectorate 207 205 88 82 (2)105 
			 Audit Commission 291 267 141 85 49 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 1,167 1,650 1,070 619 447 
			 Valuation Tribunal Service 24 37 19 8 (3)— 
			 Local Government Ombudsman 0 164 337 348 253 
			 Fire Service College 984 852 617 417 279 
			 (1) Spend from December 2008 since inception of the Homes and Communities Agency. (2) Spend has gone up in 2012-13 due to the bookings and payments of staff training which are now being done through the Government Procurement Card. (3) All cards withdrawn by April 2012. 
		
	
	We received nil returns from the five other arm’s length bodies:
	London Thames Gateway DC
	West Northamptonshire DC
	Independent Housing Ombudsman Ltd
	Architects Registration Board
	Building Regulations Advisory Committee
	While there is a role for electronic payments using such cards, under this Administration, my Department has introduced new internal checks and audit trails on the use of the Government Procurement Card, from pre-approvals to requiring post-transaction reporting. We have significantly reduced the number of card holders. Our transparency agenda of publishing spending data online has also increased internal and external scrutiny of every single transaction on such charge cards.
	As the Department explained in its publication, ‘50 ways to save: Examples of sensible savings in local government’ published in December, the online transparency and tougher controls have helped cut expenditure on ‘Central Departments’ Government Procurement Cards’ by over three-quarters, from £321,076 in 2009-10, to just £70,835 in 2011-12 and cut the number of card holders from 210 in May 2010 to just 26 in November 2012.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of all homelessness (a) applications and (b) acceptances were from black, Asian and minority ethnic households in (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2011-12.

Mark Prisk: The Department does not collect information on numbers of homelessness applications. Although it does collect figures on the numbers of decisions, which are closely related to numbers of applications, they are not broken down by ethnic group.
	The Department does collect information on the numbers of homelessness acceptances broken down by ethnic group. The requested information on homelessness acceptances for England is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Homelessness acceptances—England 
			  2001-02 2011-12 
			 Black, Asian and minority ethnic households(1) 24,640 14,450 
			 White households 83,040 33,410 
			 Ethnic group not stated 9,010 2,430 
			 Total(2) 116,660 50,290 
			    
		
	
	
		
			 Black, Asian and minority ethnic households as percentage of total households (excluding those with ethnic group not stated) 23 30 
			 (1) Including mixed ethnicity for 2011-12: figures for mixed ethnicity were not collected for 2001-02. (2) Total may not equal the sum of constituent parts due to rounding Source: Quarterly P1E forms from local authorities; DCLG Live Table 771 
		
	
	This information is also available from DCLG Live Table 771, which is available at
	http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
	I would observe that 2001 and 2011 census data shows that both the size and the proportion of the black, Asian and minority ethnic population within England have risen in the last decade, which will have influenced these figures.

Housing: Taxation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of whether taxes on a single self-build property through the affordable housing levy and the community infrastructure levy may exceed more than (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30 and (d) 40 per cent of the value of that property;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the highest level of combined taxes that can be levied on a standard-size three-bedroom self-build property through the new community infrastructure levy and the affordable housing levy.

Nicholas Boles: I refer the hon. Member to my answers to him on 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 853W.

Local Government Finance: East Riding

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons he intends to reduce the 2013-14 formula grant for the East Riding of Yorkshire by more than the national average.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 4 February 2013
	The final settlement for 2013-14 was approved by the House of Commons on 13 February and details can be found at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm
	Every bit of the public sector needs to do their bit to tackle the deficit inherited from the last Administration, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending.
	While noting that East Riding of Yorkshire's change in spending power is greater than the national average in 2013-14, I would observe that the changes in spending power in both 2011-12 and in 2012-13 were more favourable than the national average.
	We have tried to ensure fairness for all parts of the country—to both north and south, to rural and urban areas, and to shires and metropolitan areas.

Mayors

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether elected mayors are employees.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to him of 10 January 2013, Official Report, column 406W.

Means-tested Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what cash and non-cash means-tested benefits are provided by his Department; what the rules are in respect of means-testing for each such benefit; and how much his Department spent on each in 2011-12.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not directly provide any cash or non-cash means-tested benefits.

Planning Permission

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Localism Act 2011, whether (a) an emerging local plan, (b) a new local plan or (c) a fast-track change to an existing local plan would have a material effect on the substance or detail of any application for detailed planning permission in the relevant local authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: The planning system is plan-led. Planning law requires that planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The reference to development plans would apply to existing local plans that had been subject to examination and adopted by a local planning authority.
	Fast-track changes provide a shorter timetable for updating local plan policies where these are specific or of a single issue. The requirements for consultation and examination of the proposed changes still need to be met before they can be adopted and carry the weight of an adopted plan.
	The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that decision makers may give weight to relevant policies in emerging local plans according to their stage of preparation, the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies and the degree of consistency with the framework.
	It is ultimately up to the decision maker to determine the outcome of individual planning applications.
	The National Planning Policy Framework sets out a robust framework on this issue so a further statement will not be provided.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), appointed 19 people to public bodies in 2010-11, and 30 people in 2011-12. Of these, 14 were reappointments in 2010-11, and 14 were reappointments in 2011-12.
	All of the 19 appointments in 2010-11 and 26 of the 30 appointments in 2011-12 were regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are also available in the Library of the House. The Commissioner does not collect information regarding the religion of appointees.

Shops

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what investment he has made to promote the introduction of pop-up shops across the UK.

Mark Prisk: Pop-up shops are a superb way for entrepreneurs to test their ideas and to get empty retail spaces back into use. The Government is providing over £80 million in start-up loans for young entrepreneurs, which could create over 30,000 new businesses.
	In December 2012 my Department worked with StartUp Britain to convert two meeting rooms in its Eland House headquarters into a pop-up shop and in January 2013, I hosted a briefing session for hon. Members and their Town Team Partners to encourage local areas to follow suit. A practical toolkit and model pop-up lease, produced by Startup Britain, is available at:
	http://popupbritain.com/guidance-for-town-teams

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department.

Brandon Lewis: The Department is taking a number of steps to reduce sick absence:
	The Department is committed to the wellbeing of its staff and offers a number of services to assist in minimising staff absences:
	A self-test stress indicator tool for staff members, to help their line managers identify measures they can put in place to tackle workplace stress in their team. This has been developed by the Health and Safety Executive, in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Investors in People.
	Intranet information pages to inform staff on ways in which they can actively seek to maximise their physical and mental health.
	Access to a 24 hour Employee Assistance helpline which offers advice and support for all staff to deal with a wide range of issues, including sick absence.
	The Department has a short term sick absence policy which line managers use to support staff back to work and help them manage down their sick absences.
	The Department has finalised and will shortly be introducing a comprehensive policy for managing long term sickness absence which we consider will significantly improve the management and resolution of such cases.

Social Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has undertaken research into the (a) quality and (b) age of electrical installations in the social rented sector.

Don Foster: Information on the electrical safety of properties is collected through the English Housing Survey. No research has been undertaken specifically on the quality and age of electrical installations in the social rented sector.

Social Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with what frequency the requirements of the Decent Home Standard with regard to electrical products and installations are reviewed.

Don Foster: The Decent Homes standard was subject to consultation in 2011 by both Government and the social housing regulator. Under this standard, a home is required to be free from a category 1 hazard as defined by the Housing and Health Safety Rating System, which includes consideration of electrical safety. There are no current plans to review the Decent Homes standard.

Social Rented Housing: Electrical Safety

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has considered including provision for the update of electrical safety within the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard.

Don Foster: The Decent Homes Standard includes an assessment of risk against the Housing Health Safety Rating System, which includes consideration of electrical safety.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed.

Brandon Lewis: My Department had the following numbers of staff by Civil Service grade at 31 March in each of the requested years as reported by the Office for National Statistics:
	
		
			 Civil Service Grade or equivalent 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Administrative grades 360 224 235 203 139 
			 Executive Officers 389 351 333 307 269 
			 Higher Executive Officers 561 429 525 508 485 
			 Senior Executive Officers 264 255 297 287 310 
			 Grades 7 456 391 460 472 472 
			 Grades 6 102 134 116 114 113 
			 Senior Civil Service (SCS) 155 102 111 109 90 
			 Total 2,287 1,886 2,077 2,000 1,878 
		
	
	These figures do not reflect the savings to the public purse from the abolition of the Government Office for the Regions and the regional development agencies and their associated machinery of government changes and reduction in overall staffing; full details can be found in the answers of 11 June 2012, Official Report, columns 11-13W.
	The Department is committed to greater transparency in government and now publishes internal workforce management information, including numbers of staff by Civil Service grade, for both the Department and its arm’s length bodies on a monthly basis on both the Department’s website and data.gov.uk.
	Based on current estimates (which reflect accounting consequences from machinery of government changes), the DCLG Group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms by 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532 million over this spending review period.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

Brandon Lewis: My Department had the following numbers of staff in each property used by the Department as of 31 January 2013:
	
		
			 Building Numbers of staff 
			 Eland House—London 1,275 
			 Hempstead House—Hemel Hempstead 71 
			 St Philips Place—Birmingham 66 
			 Lateral—Leeds 39 
			 Arpley House—Warrington 36 
			 Citygate—Newcastle 35 
			 Temple Quay House—Bristol 34 
			 Cumberland Place—Nottingham 24 
			 Princes Dock—Liverpool 22 
			 Mast House—Plymouth 19 
			 Eastbrook—Cambridge 18 
			 Ashdown House—Hastings 17 
			 Rivergate—Bristol 16 
		
	
	
		
			 Vulcan House—Sheffield 14 
			 Longbrook House—Exeter 13 
			 No. 1 Piccadilly—Manchester 11 
			 Lysnoweth—Truro 10 
			 Other locations 9 
			 Total 1,729 
		
	
	In eight locations (Eland House London, Bridge House Guildford, Hempstead House Hemel Hempstead, City Gate Newcastle, Rivergate House Bristol, Lateral Leeds, Mast House Plymouth and St Philips Place Birmingham) DCLG is the leaseholder for the property; and the remainder are properties leased to other Government Departments and we have sub-let some space from them.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government completed a major programme of restructuring which finished in October 2011. The Department's planned establishment for 1 November 2012 and going forward is currently 1,757 full-time equivalent staff.
	These figures do not reflect the savings to the public purse from the abolition of the Government office for the regions and the regional development agencies and their associated machinery of government changes; full details can be found in the answers of 11 June 2012, Official Report, columns 11-13W. The Department's arm’s length bodies are expected to make significant savings over the spending review period, though no specific headcount targets have been set.
	Based on current estimates (which reflect accounting consequences from machinery of government changes), the DCLG Group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms by 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532 million over this spending review period.

Vacant Land

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the protection of fields from development to prevent urban sprawl.

Nicholas Boles: The Government has made it quite clear through the National Planning Policy Framework that in supporting sustainable development it is committed to safeguarding the natural environment and ensuring strong protections for the Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and many other countryside treasures. Additionally, the framework underlines that planning decisions should recognise the intrinsic value and beauty of the countryside, whether or not it is specifically designated, and expects local councils to take into account in their planning the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Moreover, councils should use their local plans to help shape where development should and should not take place and to help prevent unsustainable development or sprawl.

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities have sufficient financial resources available to fund appeals against refusals of permissions for onshore wind farm applications.

Nicholas Boles: The best way for local authorities and communities to guide planning applications for development in their area, including wind farms, is to ensure that they have an up-to-date local plan in place. Under planning law, planning applications and any subsequent appeals are decided in accordance with the plan for the area.
	We have published new advice which clarifies the position of local authorities in terms of the risk of being liable for costs in a planning appeal. The Cost Awards Circular Addendum published on 18 December made clear that where a local authority refuses a planning application on the grounds that it is contrary to development plan policy, and no material considerations including national policy indicate that planning permission should have been granted, there should generally be no grounds for an award of costs against the planning authority for unreasonable refusal of an application.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in her Department; whether her Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if she will publish such documents.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not collect data specifically relating to alcohol-related absences. A copy of the internal Drugs and Alcohol policy document has been placed in the House Library.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish her response to her Department's consultation on its alcohol strategy, including any recommendations for minimum unit pricing and prohibition of multi-buy discounts.

Jeremy Browne: The Alcohol Strategy consultation closed on 6 February. The Government will consider all views and will respond in due course.

Asylum

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last 10 years, how many asylum applications were received; how many asylum decision were made; how many of those decisions were to (a)  approve the application, (b) refuse the application and (c) grant temporary leave to remain; how many failed applicants were removed; how many cases were unresolved, with the total time since the application was given in year bands; and in how many cases all files have been lost.

Mark Harper: holding answer 13 February 2013
	Table 1 shows asylum applications received and decisions made and Table 2 shows number of removals between 2002 and 2011. Figures relate to main applicants and dependants.
	It is not possible within these figures to say at what stage in the asylum process individuals have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, as those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage without necessarily notifying the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
	Following a change to the published categories that separated removals and voluntary departures, figures for 2002 and 2003 are not directly comparable with those for 2004 onwards.
	Table 3 shows the number of asylum cases pending at the end of 2011, broken down by total time since application. 'Pending' cases are those asylum applications from applicants, including fresh claims, lodged since 1 April 2006 which were still under consideration at the end of 2011.
	Annual figures on asylum applications and decisions and asylum cases pending are published in Table as.02 and annual figures for removals from 2004 are published in Table rv.01 of the release 'Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012' which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q3-2012/
	The latest annual figures published are for 2011. 2012 figures will be published on 28 February 2013.
	Home Office records are managed in accordance with relevant legislation and established policy. Within the UKBA staff are made aware of the importance of managing information securely and carefully to prevent unauthorised disclosure and to protect the agency's and the public's interest. It is important for the organisation to note those cases where records cannot be immediately located.
	Recording a record or part of a record as “lost” on the File Tracking System is simply an indication that a member of staff has been unable to locate it at a particular point in time. It does not signify that a record has actually physically been ‘lost’ or what action has been taken to locate a record and experience shows that in many cases a more thorough search might result in the record or the missing part of the record being successfully located. We do not record such cases by calendar year.
	
		
			 Table 1: Asylum applications and initial decisions for main applicants and dependants, 2002-11 
			  Total applications Total initial decisions Total grants Grants of asylum Grants of HP(1) Grants of DL(1) Grants of ELR(1) Total refusals 
			 2002 103,081 103,452 33,460 10,992 n/a n/a 22,468 69,992 
			 2003 60,047 80,370 13,183 5,379 181 3,278 4,345 67,187 
			 2004 40,623 55,392 6,353 2,159 208 3,986 n/a 49,039 
			 2005 30,841 33,209 5,427 2,472 160 2,795 n/a 27,782 
			 2006 28,321 25,474 5,043 2,632 77 2,334 n/a 20,431 
			 2007 28,299 26,663 6,812 4,496 165 2,151 n/a 19,851 
			 2008 31,313 23,797 7,090 4,782 132 2,176 n/a 16,707 
			 2009 30,673 30,955 8,387 5,589 125 2,673 n/a 22,568 
			 2010 22,644 26,448 6,440 4,456 142 1,842 n/a 20,008 
			 2011 25,898 22,792 7,182 5,493 121 1,568 n/a 15,610 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Asylum removals for main applicants and dependants, 2002-11 
			  Total asylum cases; removed or voluntary departed(2, 3) Total asylum enforced removals(3) Total asylum voluntary departures(3) 
			 2002 13,910 n/a n/a 
			 2003 17,894 n/a n/a 
			 2004 n/a 11,743 3,170 
			 2005 n/a 11,381 4,304 
			 2006 n/a 10,881 7,399 
			 2007 n/a 8,047 5,658 
			 2008 n/a 7,169 5,705 
			 2009 n/a 6,432 5,204 
			 2010 n/a 6,174 4,220 
			 2011 n/a 5,774 4,303 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Humanitarian Protection (HP) and Discretionary Leave (DL) replaced Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) from 1 April 2003. (2) Following the change to published categories that separated removals and voluntary departures, figures for 2002 and 2003 are not directly comparable with those for 2004 onwards. (3) Removals and voluntary departures do not necessarily relate to decisions made in the same period. Notes: 1. Data for 2011 are provisional figures. 2. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Cases pending as at 31 December 2011 in year bands 
			 Total time since application 0 to 1 year >1 year and <=2 years >2 years and <=3 years >3 years and <=4 years >4 years and <=5 years >5 years and <=6 years Total (all durations) 
			 Pending further review 4,870 1,173 798 653 421 135 8,050 
			 Pending initial decision 6,623 538 698 546 246 206 8,857 
			 Total Pending 11,493 1,711 1,496 1,199 667 341 16,907 
			 Note: 'Pending' cases are those asylum applications from main applicants and dependants, including fresh claims, lodged since 1 April 2006 which are still under consideration at the end of the reference period.

Asylum

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 21W, on asylum, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of (a) the Dublin System, (b) the European Asylum Support Office and (c) other measures in tackling asylum shopping; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Dublin System plays an important role in establishing the member state responsible for determining an application for asylum. The Government is committed to the Dublin System, as it reinforces the principle that asylum should be claimed in the first safe country and helps tackle the problem of people making multiple claims in different EU member states. Since 2004, we have removed over 10,000 asylum applicants under the Dublin System which has resulted in significant financial savings and has also sent a powerful message that the UK can and will act against those who try to abuse our asylum system.
	The Government is broadly satisfied with the progress that the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has made since its creation in 2010. We fully support the work EASO has carried out so far and believe it has made a meaningful contribution to member states, such as Greece, that are in need of practical cooperation and capacity building measures. The Government is also pleased that EASO has taken on and further developed a number of practical cooperation measures which have already been undertaken in recent years, such as a common approach to information on countries of origin and the establishment of the European Asylum Curriculum.
	We also look forward to the establishment of the Early Warning and Preparedness System which will be a vital tool to ensure that member states can adequately respond to any particular asylum pressures they may face.
	There are no plans for the Secretary of State for the Home Department to make a statement in relation to this issue.

Asylum

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many asylum legacy cases are outstanding;
	(2)  how many outstanding asylum legacy cases have been identified as being criminal to date;
	(3)  when she expects the non-criminal asylum legacy cases to be completed.

Mark Harper: Rob Whiteman's letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee of 18 December 2012 noted that, as of 19 November 2012, there were 40,900 live legacy cases. This breaks down between 33,900 asylum cases and 7,000 migration cases.
	These are complicated cases that will take time to work through. It is important that we do everything possible to ensure every attempt is made to consider each one in detail, reach the right decision and take appropriate action.

Asylum: Pregnant Women

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women in receipt of asylum support were dispersed or relocated during pregnancy (a) once, (b) twice, (c) thrice, (d) four times and (e) five or more times in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Mark Harper: The information could be provided only by examining individual case records, which would result in disproportionate cost.

Aviation

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many air miles were accumulated by each Minister in her Department in 2012; how such air miles were used; and whether such air miles were donated to charity.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers abide by the rules on the use of air miles as set out in the Ministerial Code.
	The Code is available from:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/409215/ministerial codemay2010.pdf

Bombings: Birmingham

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps could be taken by the families of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings to have that crime reinvestigated; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The 1974 Birmingham pub bombings were an appalling act of murder and I fully appreciate the continuing desire of the families of the victims to obtain justice.
	A decision to reinvestigate the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings is one for the West Midlands police. The police have stated on a number of occasions that they would look at any fresh information that came to light.

British Nationality: Assessments

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to removing or altering the penalty charges applied when a person makes a mistake on the registration form for their Life in the UK Test.

Mark Harper: We have no plans to change the current processes for applying for a Life in the UK test.
	Information on completion of registration for the test is clearly set out on the Life in the UK Test website.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by her Department.

James Brokenshire: The detail of disclosable properties used by the Department and their monthly running costs including rent, rates, service charges, facilities management and utilities are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Owned and rented Home Office properties as at 1 January 2013 
			 Property name Town Monthly running cost (£) 
			 Owned properties   
			 Harrogate Harrogate (1)— 
			 Bramshill Hook (1)— 
			 Hendon Data Centre London 178,248 
			 Smedly Hydro Southport 147,226 
			    
			 Rented properties   
			 Terminal Building Aberdeen 6,618 
			 2 Thistle Road Aberdeen 7,007 
			 Ashford International Rail Terminal Ashford 1,000 
			 Cardiff International Airport Barry 3,633 
			 Cargo Terminal Barry 2,155 
			 Franklin Court Bedford 13,188 
			 Wigney House Bedford 15,011 
			 Law Society Belfast 80,275 
			 Belfast International Airport Belfast 14,300 
			 Ledu House Belfast 46,386 
			 Kensington House Birmingham 26,643 
			 Vienna House Birmingham 8,759 
			 Terminal 2 Birmingham 6,306 
		
	
	
		
			 Terminal 1 Birmingham 17,054 
			 Diamond House (Custody Suite) Birmingham 2,993 
			 St John’s Court Blackburn 8,297 
			 Blackburn Railway Station Blackburn 83 
			 Blackpool Airport Blackpool 602 
			 Boston Police Station Boston 1,117 
			 Bournemouth International Airport Bournemouth 1,371 
			 Monarch House Bristol 9,481 
			 Apex Court Bristol 4,756 
			 Terminal Building Bristol 4,997 
			 Building B1 Bristol 20,548 
			 Conference House Bristol 19,119 
			 Gare Du midi Brussels 6,521 
			 Calais Port Site Calais 9,505 
			 Westbrook Centre Cambridge 6,190 
			 Cambridge City Airport Cambridge 165 
			 General Building Cardiff 61,851 
			 RAF Brize Norton Airport Carterton 22 
			 Rosebury House Chelmsford 17,343 
			 Plas Eiras Colwyn Bay 3,401 
			 Channel Tunnel Terminal Calais Coquelles 3,554 
			 France Coquelles Tourist Office Coquelles 409 
			 Coventry Airport Coventry 702 
			 Belgrave House Crawley 9,298 
			 Apollo House Croydon 284,210 
			 Bedford Point Croydon 40,099 
			 Lunar House Croydon 667,494 
			 Metro Point Croydon 152,367 
			 Unit 6, Croydon Halls Croydon 7,929 
			 Electric House Croydon 135,911 
			 Airport Terminal Darlington 112 
			 Teesside International Airport Darlington 2,060 
			 Stuart House Derby 8,648 
			 East Midlands Airport Derby 8,192 
			 Pembroke House Derby 39,628 
			 Hangars 4 and 5 Doncaster 26,005 
			 Robin Hood Airport Doncaster 7,005 
			 Freight Clearance Centre Dover 10,661 
			 Import Freight Building Dover 7,818 
			 No 1 Control Building Dover 14,137 
			 Old Park Dover 118,033 
			 Whitfield Court Dover 10,949 
			 Dover Eastern Docks Dover 980 
			 France-Dunkerque Dunkerque 10,220 
			 Milburngate House Durham 137,617 
			 Apex House Edinburgh 13,953 
			 Almond House Edinburgh 18,288 
			 Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh 5,241 
			 New Terminal Building Edinburgh 9,893 
			 Exeter Airport Exeter 907 
			 Unit 1, Murrills Industrial Estate Fareham 3,206 
			 Port Police Station Felixstowe 4,496 
			 Bedfont Lakes Feltham 111,295 
			 U41, Cheriton/Folkestone Channel Tunnel Folkestone 12,547 
			 Frontier House Folkestone 11,831 
			 Martello House Folkestone 155,413 
			 Concorde House Gatwick 4,465 
			 North Terminal Gatwick 112,702 
			 Ashdown House Gatwick 25,579 
			 Timberham House Gatwick 9,800 
			 South Terminal Gatwick 41,406 
			 Festival Court 1 Glasgow 41,242 
			 Festival Court 2 Glasgow 34,369 
			 Festival Court 3 Glasgow 29,480 
			 The Port Office Harwich 15,443 
		
	
	
		
			 Status Park 1 Hillingdon 196,170 
			 Status Park 2 Hillingdon 68,339 
			 Platform 1 Holyhead 1,659 
			 Amadeus Building Hounslow 105,867 
			 Eaton House Hounslow 150,855 
			 Heathrow Airport-Terminal 1 Hounslow 117,445 
			 Heathrow Airport-Terminal 3 Hounslow 108,016 
			 Heathrow Airport-Terminal 4 Hounslow 57,188 
			 Heathrow Airport-Terminal 5 Hounslow 98,812 
			 Heathrow Airport-Building 820 Hounslow 23,322 
			 Dog Kennels Hull 981 
			 Unit 1, Estuary Business Park Hull 13,649 
			 UKBA Stop 24 Services Hythe — 
			 Rosyth Ferry Terminal Inverkeithing 1,450 
			 Inverness Airport Inverness 455 
			 33 Park Place Leeds 17,833 
			 Airport Terminal Leeds 2,502 
			 Leeds Bradford International Airport Leeds 7,089 
			 Springfield House Leeds 27,385 
			 Unit 5 Moorfield Business Park Leeds 5,728 
			 Waterside House Leeds 82,833 
			 Waterside Court 1 and 2 Leeds 76,509 
			 Wellington House Leicester 7,958 
			 Lille International Station Lille — 
			 Old Hall Street Liverpool 206,405 
			 The Capital Liverpool 595,390 
			 John Lennon Airport Liverpool 6,380 
			 Unit 3, Strand View Liverpool 2,063 
			 Globe House London 489,430 
			 2 Marsham Street London 4,218,075 
			 Angel Square London 114,474 
			 Becket House London 189,845 
			 Fleet Street London 127,916 
			 London City Airport London 26,785 
			 Loughborough Reporting Centre Loughborough 16,842 
			 A W House Luton 11,102 
			 Terminal Building Luton 20,964 
			 Luton Airport Luton 15,029 
			 Westminster House Manchester 22,642 
			 Brookland House Manchester 12,320 
			 GTI Building Manchester 138,539 
			 Terminal 1 Manchester 32,674 
			 Terminal 2 Manchester 25,550 
			 Terminal 3 Manchester 1,907 
			 West Point Manchester 24,475 
			 Link House Newcastle upon Tyne 37,694 
			 Newcastle Airport EPU (Unit 38) Newcastle upon Tyne 2,131 
			 Terminal Building Newcastle upon Tyne 650 
			 Newhaven Passenger Ferry Terminal Newhaven 5,169 
			 Olympia House Newport 95,044 
			 Car Ferry Passenger Terminal North Shields 416 
			 Northumbria House North Shields 21,895 
			 Norwich International Airport Norwich 841 
			 Unit 2, Silkwood Park Ossett 7,873 
			 Glasgow Airport Paisley 20,499 
			 Terminal Building Paisley 9,623 
			 Gard Du Nord Station Paris — 
			 Back Office Paris 12,101 
			 Aragon Court Peterborough 170,739 
			 Stuart House Peterborough 15,191 
			 Mayflower House Plymouth 8,291 
			 Westpoint Plymouth 5,595 
			 Plymouth Ferry Terminal Plymouth 1,681 
			 Poole Harbour Ferry Terminal Poole 1,104 
			 Robert Rogers House Poole 13,635 
		
	
	
		
			 Enterprise House Portsmouth 12,779 
			 Norman House Portsmouth 16,193 
			 Prestwick International Airport Prestwick 3,000 
			 Ramsgate Immigration Office Ramsgate 564 
			 Western Ferry Terminal Ramsgate 3,257 
			 Kings Reach 38-50 reading 17,059 
			 1 Mere Way Ruddington 57,635 
			 Units 1 and 2 Dallas Court Salford 24,789 
			 Milton House Sheffield 12,087 
			 Foundry House Sheffield 45,129 
			 Vulcan House Sheffield 554,718 
			 Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal Shetland 429 
			 Chadwick House Solihull 37,158 
			 Dominion Court Solihull 23,804 
			 Sandford House Solihull 112,023 
			 Portacabin, 204 Berth Southampton 1,807 
			 Southampton International Airport Southampton 1,571 
			 New Terminal Building Stansted 14,607 
			 Enterprise House Stansted 33,595 
			 Passenger Terminal Stansted 39,535 
			 Victoria House Stockton-on-Tees 8,160 
			 Slade House Swaffham 2,241 
			 Humberside International Airport Ulceby 1,389 
			 Biggin Hill Airport Westerham 1,786 
			 (1) Tenant meets costs. Notes: 1. The costs listed are sourced from Home Office accounts. Some of the figures provided include budget estimates. The costs are resource only and include rent, rates, service charge, maintenance and utilities. 2. The College of Policing occupies the police training sites at Bramshill and Harrogate and meets their costs. 3. Immigration removal centres and other properties operated by contractors for the Department are not included.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of her Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

James Brokenshire: The detail of disclosable properties by holding, used by the Department, is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Property name/location Tenure type Lease expiry Holding floor area (m(2)) 
			 33 Park Place, Leeds Leasehold 31 March 2018 402 
			 A W House, Luton Leasehold 30 September 2018 295 
			 Apex House, Edinburgh, Leasehold 30 September 2018 232 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 11 July 2013 228 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 11 July 2013 632 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 11 July 2013 921 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 11 July 2013 924 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 10 July 2013 3,117 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold  — 
			 Aragon Court, Peterborough Leasehold 11 July 2013 634 
			 Belgrave House, Crawley Leasehold 30 September 2018 185 
			 Enterprise House, Portsmouth Leasehold 30 September 2018 423 
			 Globe House, London Leasehold 25 June 2022 6,729 
			 Kensington House, Birmingham Leasehold 30 September 2018 618 
			 38-50 Kings Reach, Reading Leasehold 14 July 2014 325 
			 Law Society House, Belfast Leasehold 31 January 2025 2,399 
			 Mayflower House, Plymouth Leasehold 30 September 2018 278 
			 Milburngate House, Durham Leasehold 28 March 2014 6,135 
			 Milton House, Sheffield Leasehold 30 September 2018 282 
			 Monarch House, Bristol Leasehold 30 September 2018 262 
			 Old Hall Street, Liverpool Leasehold 14 January 2019 762 
			 Old Hall Street, Liverpool Leasehold 14 January 2019 2,350 
			 Old Hall Street, Liverpool Leasehold 14 February 2020 781 
			 Old Hall Street, Liverpool Leasehold 13 January 2019 706 
		
	
	
		
			 Old Hall Street, Liverpool Leasehold 14 January 2019 851 
			 Olympia House, Newport Leasehold 23 June 2013 141 
			 Olympia House, Newport Leasehold 23 June 2013 4,081 
			 Rosebury House, Chelmsford Leasehold 30 September 2018 286 
			 Smedley Hydro, Southport Freehold — 9,585 
			 St. Johns Court, Blackburn Leasehold 30 September 2018 224 
			 Stuart House, Derby Leasehold 30 September 2018 357 
			 Wellington House , Leicester Leasehold 30 September 2018 255 
			 Westminster House, Manchester Leasehold 23 June 2015 734 
			 1 Mere Way, Ruddington Leasehold 30 July 2017 2,720 
			 Apex Court, Bristol Leasehold 30 November 2014 240 
			 Bramshill Site, Hook Freehold — 31,769 
			 Harrogate Site, Harrogate Freehold — 11,460 
			 Hendon Data Centre, London Freehold — 7,231 
			 Vienna House, Birmingham Leasehold 22 November 2015 463 
			 2 Marsham Street, London PFI  53,450 
			 Unit 2, Silkwood Park, Ossett Leasehold 31 July 2013 283 
			 Westbrook Centre , Cambridge Leasehold 24 March 2014 188 
			 City Square, Liverpool Leasehold 24 October 2021 1,560 
			 Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen Leasehold — 31 
			 Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen Leasehold — 6 
			 Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen Leasehold 2 April 2016 193 
			 Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen Leasehold — 127 
			 Airport Terminal, Darlington Leasehold — 24 
			 Airport Terminal, Leeds Leasehold — 51 
			 Almond House, Edinburgh Leasehold — 38 
			 Almond House, Edinburgh Leasehold 12 June 2019 259 
			 Amadeus Building, Hounslow Leasehold 17 August 2021 2,895 
			 Angel Square, London Leasehold 27 March 2015 1,306 
			 Angel Square, London Leasehold 27 March 2015 80 
			 Angel Square, London Leasehold 26 March 2015 302 
			 Angel Square, London Leasehold 27 March 2015 843 
			 Ashford International Rail Terminal, Ashford Leasehold — 76 
			 Becket House, London Leasehold 5 August 2019 3,304 
			 Bedfont Lakes, Feltham Leasehold 18 December 2021 2,488 
			 Bedfont Lakes, Feltham Leasehold 18 December 2021  
			 Bedford Point, Croydon Leasehold 20 July 2017 1,240 
			 Belfast International Airport, Belfast Leasehold 3 November 2022 321 
			 Belfast International Airport, Belfast Leasehold — 12 
			 Belfast International Airport, Belfast Leasehold — 51 
			 Belfast International Airport, Belfast Leasehold — 38 
			 Gare du Midi, Brussels Leasehold 31 March 2015 66 
			 Gare du Midi, Brussels Leasehold — 18 
			 Gare du Midi, Brussels Leasehold — 26 
			 Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham Leasehold — 5 
			 Birmingham Airport (Dog Unit), Birmingham Leasehold — 35 
			 Birmingham International Airport, Birmingham Leasehold 19 December 2014 273 
			 Birmingham International Airport, Birmingham Leasehold 24 October 2014 83 
			 Blackburn Railway Station, Blackburn Leasehold — 9 
			 Blackpool Airport, Blackpool Leasehold — 47 
			 Boston Police Station, Boston Leasehold 7 February 2014 22 
			 Bournemouth International Airport, Christchurch Leasehold — 34 
			 Bristol International Airport, Bristol Leasehold — 25 
			 Brookland House, Manchester Leasehold 8 March 2020 752 
			 Building D44, Coquelles Leasehold 16 May 2019 497 
			 Cambridge City Airport, Cambridge Leasehold — 43 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 2,787 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 2,112 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 937 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 3,263 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 1,876 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 2,509 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 3,860 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 1,027 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 1,859 
		
	
	
		
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 940 
			 Capital Building, Liverpool Leasehold 15 September 2026 1,909 
			 Car Ferry Passenger Terminal, North Shields Leasehold — 17 
			 Cardiff International Airport, Barry Leasehold 9 January 2016 1,244 
			 Cardiff International Airport, Barry Leasehold — 1,415 
			 Cardiff International Airport, Barry Leasehold — 300 
			 Cargo Terminal, Barry Leasehold — 86 
			 Chadwick House, Solihull Leasehold 16 October 2016 1,777 
			 Channel Tunnel Terminal Calais, Coquelles Leasehold 16 May 2020 457 
			 Tourist Control Building, Cheriton Leasehold 16 May 2019 268 
			 Concorde House, Gatwick Leasehold — 47 
			 Coventry Airport, Coventry Leasehold — 9 
			 Diamond House (Custody Suite), Birmingham Leasehold 24 March 2016 126 
			 Dog Kennels, Hull Leasehold 1 February 2014 1,460 
			 Dominion Court, Solihull Leasehold 28 September 2014 670 
			 Dover Eastern Docks, Dover Leasehold 31 March 2014 1,520 
			 East Midlands Airport , Derby Leasehold — 392 
			 East Midlands Airport , Derby Leasehold — 73 
			 Eaton House, Hounslow Leasehold 24 December 2017 3,417 
			 Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Leasehold — 190 
			 Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Leasehold — 150 
			 Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Leasehold — 283 
			 Electric House, Croydon Leasehold 23 June 2018 4,521 
			 Exeter Airport, Exeter Leasehold — 146 
			 Exeter Airport, Exeter Leasehold — 112 
			 Festival Court 1, Glasgow Leasehold 5 November 2016 1,152 
			 Festival Court 2, Glasgow Leasehold 31 January 2018 1,152 
			 Festival Court 3, Glasgow Leasehold 24 May 2019 1,152 
			 Fleet Street, London Leasehold 13 August 2016 926 
			 Fleet Street, London Leasehold 13 August 2016 913 
			 Foundry House, Sheffield Leasehold 30 June 2017 2,620 
			 Dunkerque Port Leasehold — 322 
			 Frethurn Station, Calais Leasehold — 16 
			 Calais Port Leasehold — 250 
			 Calais Port Leasehold — 30 
			 Calais Port Leasehold — 600 
			 Calais Port Leasehold — 55 
			 Tourist Office Building, Coquelles Leasehold — 100 
			 Gare du Nord Station, Paris Leasehold — 50 
			 Franklin Court, Bedford Leasehold 20 November 2016 1,054 
			 Freight Clearance Centre, Dover Leasehold — 735 
			 Frontier House, Folkestone Leasehold 31 May 2018 907 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 68 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 213 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold 28 April 2013 243 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 32 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 509 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 568 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold 28 April 2013 239 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 773 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 747 
			 Gatwick Airport Building, Gatwick Leasehold — 904 
			 Gatwick Airport Dog Kennels, Gatwick Leasehold 23 October 2028 1,857 
			 General Building, Cardiff Leasehold 28 February 2017 3,068 
			 Glasgow Airport, Paisley Leasehold — 649 
			 Glasgow Airport, Paisley Leasehold — 439 
			 Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick Leasehold — 36 
			 Hangars 4 and 5, Doncaster Leasehold 24 March 2024 9,171 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 225 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 1,517 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 59 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 128 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 190 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 114 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 606 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 35 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 113 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 18 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 1,379 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 324 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 112 
			 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow Leasehold — 910 
			 Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal, Shetland Leasehold — 84 
			 Humberside International Airport, Ulceby Leasehold — 18 
			 Humberside International Airport, Ulceby Leasehold — 74 
			 Import Freight Building, Dover Leasehold — 224 
			 Inverness Airport, Inverness Leasehold — 50 
			 Ledu House, Belfast Leasehold 11 January 2024 1,453 
			 Leeds Bradford International, Leeds Leasehold — 64 
			 Lille International Station, Lille Leasehold — 20 
			 Link House, Newcastle Upon Tyne Leasehold 22 August 2019 1,079 
			 John Lennon Airport, Liverpool Leasehold — 42 
			 London City Airport, London Leasehold — 161 
			 London City Airport, London Leasehold — 128 
			 Reporting Centre, Loughborough Leasehold 24 December 2015 967 
			 Lunar House, Croydon Leasehold 23 June 2023 29,717 
			 Apollo House, Croydon Leasehold 23 June 2023 12,147 
			 Luton Airport, London Leasehold — 195 
			 Main Terminal, Southend-on-Sea Leasehold — 151 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold 27 October 2018 1,417 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold 27 October 2018 1,163 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold 27 October 2018 1,417 
			 West Point, Manchester Leasehold 30 September 2013 604 
			 West Point, Manchester Leasehold 30 September 2013 310 
			 Martello House, Folkestone Leasehold 14 June 2022 4,724 
			 Metro Point, Croydon Leasehold 27 March 2020 3,743 
			 New Terminal, Stansted Leasehold 30 September 2015 431 
			 Newcastle Airport , Newcastle upon Tyne Leasehold 7 February 2014 48 
			 Newcastle Airport , Newcastle upon Tyne Leasehold 31 October 2017 118 
			 Newcastle Airport, Newcastle upon Tyne Leasehold 31 December 2014 36 
			 Newhaven Harbour Passenger Terminal, Newhaven Leasehold 10 December 2033 356 
			 Newhaven Harbour Passenger Terminal, Newhaven Leasehold — 281 
			 No 1 Control Building, Dover Leasehold — 116 
			 No 1 Control Building, Dover Leasehold — 42 
			 No 1 Control Building, Dover Leasehold — 720 
			 Norman House, Portsmouth Leasehold — 757 
			 Northumbria House, North Shields Leasehold 23 December 2014 1,331 
			 Norwich International Airport, Norwich Leasehold — 47 
			 Old Park, Dover Leasehold 18 March 2017 2,633 
			 Back Office, Paris Leasehold 6 March 2015 330 
			 Pembroke House, Derby Leasehold 29 November 2016 962 
			 Plas Eirias, Colwyn Bay Leasehold 31 March 2013 33 
			 Plas Eirias, Colwyn Bay Leasehold 31 March 2014 10 
			 Platform 1, Holyhead Leasehold 30 September 2005 178 
			 Plymouth Ferry Terminal, Plymouth Leasehold 14 July 2013 41 
			 Poole Harbour Ferry Terminal, Poole Leasehold — 50 
			 Port Police Station, Felixstowe Leasehold — 187 
			 Port Police Station, Felixstowe Leasehold —  
			 Port Richborough, Sandwich Leasehold 23 June 2016  
			 Portacabin, 204 Berth, Southampton Leasehold — 50 
			 Conference House, Bristol Leasehold 6 July 2020 1,000 
			 Building B1, Bristol Leasehold 7 May 2018 570 
			 RAF Brize Norton Airport, Carterton Leasehold — 144 
			 Ramsgate Immigration Office, Ramsgate Leasehold — 140 
			 Robert Rogers House—3rd Floor, Poole Leasehold 24 September 2013 476 
			 Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster Leasehold 27 April 2015 98 
		
	
	
		
			 Robin Hood Airport, Doncaster Leasehold — 7 
			 Rosyth Ferry Terminal, Inverkeithing Leasehold — 89 
			 Sandford House, Solihull Leasehold 24 December 2014 3,164 
			 Scanner Unit, Immingham Leasehold —  
			 Slade House, Swaffham Leasehold 4 December 2015 251 
			 Southampton International Air, Southampton Leasehold — 39 
			 Springfield House, Leeds Leasehold 17 August 2015 582 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 48 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 84 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 310 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 167 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 204 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 264 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 67 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 22 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 30 
			 Stansted Airport, Stansted Leasehold — 50 
			 Status Park 2, Hillingdon Leasehold 27 February 2013 2,240 
			 Status Park 1, Hillingdon Leasehold 27 February 2018 3,575 
			 Stuart House, Peterborough Leasehold 30 August 2014 528 
			 Teesside International Airport, Darlington Leasehold — 114 
			 Teesside International Airport, Darlington Leasehold — 400 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold — 257 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold — 59 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold — 78 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold — 195 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold 31 May 2013 408 
			 Manchester Airport, Manchester Leasehold 31 March 2015 241 
			 Terminal 3, Hounslow Leasehold — 352 
			 Terminal Building, Aberdeen Leasehold — 169 
			 Terminal Building, Belfast Leasehold — 106 
			 Terminal Building, Bristol Leasehold — 46 
			 Terminal Building, Luton Leasehold — 552 
			 Terminal Building, Paisley Leasehold — 323 
			 Terminals 4, Hounslow Leasehold — 255 
			 The Port Office, Harwich Leasehold 3 April 2032 1,095 
			 Tilbury Dog Kennels, Tilbury Leasehold —  
			 UKBA Stop 24 Services, Hythe Leasehold — 40 
			 Unit 1, Estuary Business Park, Hull Leasehold 19 September 2019 540 
			 Unit 3, Strand View, Liverpool Leasehold 13 June 2022 602 
			 Unit 5, Moorfield Business Park, Leeds Leasehold 26 August 2017 221 
			 Unit 6, Croydon Halls, Croydon Leasehold 21 December 2014 714 
			 Unit 1, Murrills Industrial Estate, Fareham Leasehold 24 March 2025 304 
			 Units 1 And 2 Dallas Court, Salford Leasehold 1 June 2014 1,500 
			 Victoria House, Stockton-on-Tees Leasehold 15 May 2013 215 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 825 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,707 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 860 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 1,259 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,707 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,707 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold — — 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,692 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 1,259 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 1,259 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 1,259 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,707 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 5 June 2028 1,258 
			 Vulcan House, Sheffield Leasehold 13 February 2028 1,707 
			 Waterside Court 1 And 2, Leeds Leasehold 18 May 2015 3,354 
			 Waterside House, Leeds Leasehold 11 July 2019 1,563 
			 Western Ferry Terminal, Ramsgate Leasehold — 167 
			 Westpoint, Plymouth Leasehold 24 March 2016 211 
		
	
	
		
			 Whitfield Court, Dover Leasehold 21 January 2014 495 
			 Wigney House, Bedford Leasehold 31 March 2015 798 
			    366,583 
			 Notes: 1. Leaseholds without a specific expiry date are held on periodic tenancies. 2. Bramshill and Harrogate police training sites are leased to the college of policing. 3. Floor areas are omitted where information is not held. 4. Immigration removal centres and other properties operated by contractors for the Department are not included.

Children: Abuse

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will review the dossiers submitted to her Department by the former hon. Member for Huddersfield West (1979 to 1983) and Littleborough and Saddleworth (1983 to 1995) in relation to child abuse in 1983 and 1984; if she will place in the Library copies of the dossiers; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between her Department and the former hon. Member for Huddersfield West (1973 to 1983) and Littleborough and Saddleworth (1983 to 1995) in relation to child abuse in (a) 1983, (b) 1984 and (c) 1985; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: holding answers 1 February and 14 February 2013
	The information requested may no longer be held centrally by the Department. The Department is committed to pursuing all avenues in respect of this issue and we are researching all papers that are available to us to establish whether the information is held. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Crime

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) allegations of, (b) arrests for, (c) charges for, (d) prosecutions for and (e) convictions for (i) rape, (ii) sexual assault and (iii) domestic violence were recorded in each police force area in each year from 2005 to 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office holds data for the number of (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault offences by police force area. These data are provided in Tables A and B. The Home Office does not collect data on the number of allegations, arrests or charges for rape and sexual assault offences.
	The Ministry of Justice holds data for the number of defendants proceeded against and how many defendants are found guilty for rape and sexual assault offences. These data are provided in Tables C and D.
	Figures on the number of domestic violence offences are not available from the police recorded crime series or Ministry of Justice data as it is the outcome of such an incident that is recorded by the police, e.g. ABH or common assault.
	
		
			 Table A: Offences of rape recorded by police forces in England and Wales in 2005-06 to 2011-12 by police force area(1) 
			 Police force 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Avon and Somerset 310 430 383 338 365 365 481 
			 Bedfordshire 195 149 114 164 146 110 67 
			 British Transport Police (2006) 20 19 17 22 17 10 14 
			 Cambridgeshire 200 209 214 194 197 212 193 
			 Cheshire 181 170 149 151 170 170 216 
			 Cleveland 171 140 142 136 149 190 174 
			 Cumbria 77 73 81 75 105 128 113 
			 Derbyshire 282 284 235 257 307 316 280 
			 Devon and Cornwall 400 389 402 431 479 567 626 
			 Dorset 181 132 210 167 236 228 165 
			 Durham 158 83 128 121 120 158 125 
			 Dyfed-Powys 85 102 71 77 129 120 111 
			 Essex 384 355 296 343 435 449 550 
			 Gloucestershire 161 160 141 145 145 164 152 
			 Greater Manchester 842 837 784 834 840 842 776 
			 Gwent 126 145 177 154 185 188 198 
			 Hampshire 656 662 595 588 574 582 555 
			 Hertfordshire 211 199 172 132 187 194 184 
			 Humberside 350 291 259 230 290 381 367 
			 Kent 445 395 404 351 330 304 401 
			 Lancashire 326 288 258 251 255 427 416 
			 Leicestershire 307 298 343 313 267 234 229 
			 Lincolnshire 187 155 162 152 158 189 184 
			 London, City of 6 8 3 1 7 6 2 
			 Merseyside 378 298 250 223 334 365 408 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,398 2,304 1,904 2,175 2,839 3,277 3,334 
		
	
	
		
			 Norfolk 230 165 141 141 167 206 295 
			 Northamptonshire 159 162 152 176 185 255 247 
			 Northumbria 359 345 255 261 336 345 333 
			 North Wales 170 106 153 173 180 189 214 
			 North Yorkshire 145 135 129 170 151 193 175 
			 Nottinghamshire 265 255 230 301 345 290 294 
			 South Wales 216 273 264 297 244 235 262 
			 South Yorkshire 338 267 235 202 275 295 299 
			 Staffordshire 292 285 243 240 288 232 202 
			 Suffolk 207 175 170 184 246 208 237 
			 Surrey 139 138 148 185 204 197 161 
			 Sussex 424 440 309 370 459 443 437 
			 Thames Valley 448 437 412 434 578 505 467 
			 Warwickshire 86 110 107 101 118 128 131 
			 West Mercia 233 220 241 274 314 350 408 
			 West Midlands 943 912 827 764 893 881 835 
			 West Yorkshire 604 617 626 664 665 598 549 
			 Wiltshire 148 157 137 134 160 166 174 
			 Total 14,443 13,774 12,673 13,096 15,074 15,892 16,041 
			 (1) Data as at March 2012. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B: Offences of sexual assault recorded by police forces in England and Wales in 2005-06 to 2011-12 by police force area(1) 
			 Police force 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Avon and Somerset 730 778 657 667 653 616 600 
			 Bedfordshire 233 193 142 164 176 189 168 
			 British Transport Police (2006) 521 526 515 536 504 528 528 
			 Cambridgeshire 338 285 358 354 350 348 312 
			 Cheshire 428 406 329 297 272 303 326 
			 Cleveland 293 248 257 254 235 227 241 
			 Cumbria 186 162 188 174 145 151 163 
			 Derbyshire 481 454 441 381 425 447 321 
			 Devon and Cornwall 654 661 611 616 661 731 789 
			 Dorset 344 305 348 301 300 333 264 
			 Durham 326 215 202 186 162 189 188 
			 Dyfed-Powys 186 178 155 146 165 141 147 
			 Essex 473 405 457 469 414 623 596 
			 Gloucestershire 239 228 216 198 213 198 198 
			 Greater Manchester 1,429 1,364 1,232 1,212 1,216 1,300 1,135 
			 Gwent 251 226 222 216 228 203 210 
			 Hampshire 1,035 1,034 953 908 775 839 810 
			 Hertfordshire 424 413 382 313 313 297 294 
			 Humberside 546 487 392 399 368 475 461 
			 Kent 701 657 644 570 559 583 591 
			 Lancashire 687 654 652 515 539 582 583 
			 Leicestershire 654 584 611 586 493 474 402 
			 Lincolnshire 330 330 289 277 239 241 278 
			 London, City of 21 24 31 22 23 21 26 
			 Merseyside 519 422 356 308 351 410 411 
			 Metropolitan Police 4,465 4,027 4,200 4,047 4,346 4,407 4,339 
			 Norfolk 415 327 257 232 234 286 332 
			 Northamptonshire 292 240 286 283 286 313 302 
			 Northumbria 619 571 531 447 455 489 433 
			 North Wales 298 221 241 232 214 243 226 
			 North Yorkshire 301 285 280 220 215 219 199 
			 Nottinghamshire 528 493 434 455 454 424 326 
			 South Wales 433 355 417 407 318 370 402 
			 South Yorkshire 508 422 435 346 390 376 317 
			 Staffordshire 582 511 380 387 405 437 365 
			 Suffolk 323 300 220 314 313 318 311 
			 Surrey 312 291 299 360 360 354 259 
			 Sussex 682 681 604 590 554 637 613 
			 Thames Valley 843 902 899 877 890 885 819 
			 Warwickshire 185 189 160 185 180 199 192 
			 West Mercia 462 426 483 461 450 499 505 
			 West Midlands 1,596 1,471 1,408 1,193 1,279 1,139 1,163 
		
	
	
		
			 West Yorkshire 1,085 1,008 814 753 761 767 689 
			 Wiltshire 231 199 210 205 220 244 219 
			 Total 26,189 24,158 23,198 22,063 22,103 23,055 22,053 
			 (1) Data as at March 2012. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table C: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and offenders found guilty at all courts for rape(1) offences, by police force area, England and Wales, 2005-11(2,3) 
			 Number of defendants/offenders 
			  2005 2006 2007 2008(4) 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 AvonandSomerset 59 12 69 17 69 19 45 13 
			 Bedfordshire 27 9 19 5 17 8 20 9 
			 Cambridgeshire 28 11 23 6 28 7 28 10 
			 Cheshire 45 12 36 21 29 13 33 27 
			 CityofLondon 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Cleveland 48 9 41 18 35 23 34 10 
			 Cumbria 18 7 16 6 20 9 13 4 
			 Derbyshire 70 14 53 24 53 15 38 12 
			 DevonandCornwall 19 24 30 21 38 22 32 25 
			 Dorset 21 6 25 10 22 3 10 16 
			 Durham 36 8 36 7 28 5 32 18 
			 Essex 50 13 37 15 19 9 38 19 
			 Gloucestershire 15 3 29 13 32 6 20 9 
			 GreaterManchester 203 51 188 55 196 50 175 72 
			 Hampshire 105 28 67 32 104 27 91 27 
			 Hertfordshire 51 8 57 8 25 12 22 11 
			 Humberside 48 17 49 30 27 24 36 14 
			 Kent 59 20 71 22 70 27 52 37 
			 Lancashire 114 20 85 31 87 28 67 37 
			 Leicestershire 49 13 40 9 31 14 34 10 
			 Lincolnshire 34 14 17 9 13 7 20 8 
			 Merseyside 45 28 45 18 38 16 44 13 
			 MetropolitanPolice 640 118 589 151 557 156 566 173 
			 Norfolk 4 11 4 17 11 12 32 11 
			 NorthYorkshire 32 11 36 13 31 18 37 11 
			 Northamptonshire 19 7 14 12 2 11 21 10 
			 Northumbria 62 15 64 25 54 23 56 19 
			 Nottinghamshire 60 20 52 17 41 21 42 18 
			 SouthYorkshire 70 40 66 27 56 27 53 25 
			 Staffordshire 48 16 52 10 43 21 42 18 
			 Suffolk 38 9 39 12 19 5 15 5 
			 Surrey 27 4 21 5 19 5 17 8 
			 Sussex 65 12 58 13 43 26 66 16 
			 ThamesValley 92 23 86 24 63 26 57 23 
			 Warwickshire 12 8 12 6 10 3 12 6 
			 WestMercia 49 14 41 14 24 10 39 10 
			 WestMidlands 171 70 176 54 171 58 155 59 
			 WestYorkshire 118 52 67 42 77 49 130 53 
			 Wiltshire 31 4 21 13 23 8 29 12 
			 Dyfed-Powys 12 6 12 3 14 5 16 3 
			 Gwent 40 7 44 7 37 16 37 8 
			 NorthWales 21 3 20 5 14 11 27 8 
			 SouthWales 71 19 60 16 73 18 61 25 
			 Total 2,826 796 2,567 863 2,363 873 2,395 922 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of defendants/offenders 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 AvonandSomerset 85 18 92 29 126 37 
			 Bedfordshire 20 8 13 13 17 5 
			 Cambridgeshire 33 17 47 16 26 13 
			 Cheshire 25 15 29 12 41 15 
			 CityofLondon 2 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 30 15 50 12 40 21 
		
	
	
		
			 Cumbria 19 4 21 10 20 11 
			 Derbyshire 81 19 60 17 68 25 
			 DevonandCornwall 53 23 72 29 65 41 
			 Dorset 29 3 20 12 16 8 
			 Durham 48 12 75 17 51 18 
			 Essex 47 19 57 26 58 27 
			 Gloucestershire 29 5 25 10 19 16 
			 GreaterManchester 208 76 229 77 213 91 
			 Hampshire 82 27 75 29 68 26 
			 Hertfordshire 21 10 20 10 28 10 
			 Humberside 64 28 101 38 76 38 
			 Kent 76 36 68 26 78 34 
			 Lancashire 75 36 101 27 86 42 
			 Leicestershire 36 16 40 10 44 25 
			 Lincolnshire 18 7 19 10 25 1 
			 Merseyside 48 18 60 26 57 23 
			 MetropolitanPolice 603 179 551 219 469 181 
			 Norfolk 26 16 35 7 48 16 
			 NorthYorkshire 38 18 31 6 25 7 
			 Northamptonshire 33 7 65 16 51 25 
			 Northumbria 48 13 81 31 77 29 
			 Nottinghamshire 68 19 49 13 54 24 
			 SouthYorkshire 51 26 68 26 51 26 
			 Staffordshire 53 20 55 23 48 22 
			 Suffolk 24 7 26 10 23 14 
			 Surrey 27 7 35 8 30 16 
			 Sussex 62 30 75 25 80 24 
			 ThamesValley 82 27 125 38 109 39 
			 Warwickshire 11 8 23 5 29 10 
			 WestMercia 46 20 49 15 55 21 
			 WestMidlands 193 70 147 49 145 49 
			 WestYorkshire 102 52 124 51 149 56 
			 Wiltshire 34 15 33 6 26 18 
			 Dyfed-Powys 22 11 34 7 34 9 
			 Gwent 42 9 41 13 43 8 
			 NorthWales 17 7 44 12 35 8 
			 SouthWales 86 24 105 22 70 24 
			 Total 2,797 997 3,071 1,058 2,873 1,153 
			 (1) Includes attempted rape. Includes offences under: S.7 Sexual Offences Act 1956, as amended by S.127 Mental Health Act 1959; S.128 Mental Health Act 1959; SS.1 & 5 Sexual Offences Act 2003. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice Ref: 150-13 Table 1 
		
	
	
		
			 Table D: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and offenders found guilty at all courts for sexual assault(1) offences, by police force area, England and Wales, 2005-11(2,3) 
			 Number of defendants/offenders 
			  2005 2006 2007 2008(4) 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 AvonandSomerset 108 48 68 45 75 51 76 42 
			 Bedfordshire 49 25 37 21 19 17 26 13 
			 Cambridgeshire 51 25 39 26 38 20 54 27 
			 Cheshire 87 49 84 48 89 44 62 49 
			 CityofLondon 4 3 4 2 6 1 8 3 
			 Cleveland 46 18 50 42 56 21 43 35 
			 Cumbria 52 29 37 20 30 20 31 20 
		
	
	
		
			 Derbyshire 81 39 72 42 75 52 46 32 
			 DevonandCornwall 74 51 63 44 75 45 72 56 
			 Dorset 37 24 47 20 30 12 50 30 
			 Durham 57 34 57 29 53 34 43 32 
			 Essex 64 45 46 36 24 38 66 45 
			 Gloucestershire 45 28 30 20 22 16 28 17 
			 GreaterManchester 238 139 239 139 233 130 175 123 
			 Hampshire 155 72 123 57 133 64 148 76 
			 Hertfordshire 93 34 78 25 67 37 56 30 
			 Humberside 81 56 58 37 53 39 62 39 
			 Kent 58 47 22 26 24 39 77 52 
			 Lancashire 161 70 132 74 163 101 132 83 
			 Leicestershire 108 58 94 45 75 42 77 45 
			 Lincolnshire 60 29 44 25 35 27 40 23 
			 Merseyside 93 62 93 63 82 53 73 46 
			 MetropolitanPolice 589 280 653 296 633 306 659 324 
			 Norfolk 50 40 43 28 55 42 56 40 
			 NorthYorkshire 53 31 50 34 55 38 44 29 
			 Northamptonshire 33 25 19 16 7 15 32 31 
			 Northumbria 121 74 134 70 130 78 99 70 
			 Nottinghamshire 111 49 80 46 96 52 63 46 
			 SouthYorkshire 91 60 75 44 71 48 65 51 
			 Staffordshire 98 54 91 53 66 44 63 36 
			 Suffolk 51 26 65 34 48 30 42 27 
			 Surrey 57 24 54 30 56 23 39 26 
			 Sussex 116 42 119 54 96 65 108 56 
			 ThamesValley 140 72 141 70 116 66 73 49 
			 Warwickshire 17 13 20 11 20 11 12 12 
			 WestMercia 106 70 82 48 63 42 58 45 
			 WestMidlands 244 132 261 126 224 134 181 131 
			 WestYorkshire 149 112 140 100 139 99 121 92 
			 Wiltshire 40 19 31 19 27 19 27 16 
			 Dyfed-Powys 25 16 16 9 24 13 16 10 
			 Gwent 52 30 43 23 29 15 26 9 
			 NorthWales 47 27 37 18 43 25 45 47 
			 SouthWales 114 57 93 37 93 35 90 55 
			 Total 4,106 2,238 3,764 2,052 3,548 2,103 3,364 2,120 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of defendants/offenders 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 AvonandSomerset 78 50 119 74 115 67 
			 Bedfordshire 25 12 33 18 39 25 
			 Cambridgeshire 56 32 54 38 65 36 
			 Cheshire 56 30 41 28 44 36 
			 CityofLondon 7 2 11 4 8 4 
			 Cleveland 38 27 55 35 57 35 
			 Cumbria 54 24 36 24 38 22 
			 Derbyshire 58 39 83 58 60 47 
			 DevonandCornwall 62 44 81 45 81 60 
			 Dorset 38 25 43 23 41 27 
			 Durham 38 27 54 37 62 33 
			 Essex 70 38 80 36 90 52 
			 Gloucestershire 28 22 44 22 29 27 
			 GreaterManchester 230 112 275 149 273 170 
			 Hampshire 141 61 174 79 148 83 
			 Hertfordshire 56 32 57 25 70 30 
			 Humberside 86 41 97 50 93 70 
			 Kent 80 55 102 56 93 55 
			 Lancashire 124 88 160 89 136 96 
			 Leicestershire 74 38 71 36 67 53 
		
	
	
		
			 Lincolnshire 37 26 40 23 36 24 
			 Merseyside 80 40 102 51 98 52 
			 MetropolitanPolice 687 361 851 419 737 427 
			 Norfolk 45 29 56 39 58 32 
			 NorthYorkshire 52 30 56 29 43 28 
			 Northamptonshire 35 26 49 28 55 41 
			 Northumbria 105 67 110 59 134 78 
			 Nottinghamshire 75 40 77 41 71 59 
			 SouthYorkshire 85 58 115 65 90 54 
			 Staffordshire 55 41 75 48 77 51 
			 Suffolk 56 31 49 28 39 22 
			 Surrey 41 19 43 27 49 35 
			 Sussex 121 57 126 84 111 63 
			 ThamesValley 123 61 136 77 165 92 
			 Warwickshire 18 9 21 15 28 18 
			 WestMercia 67 36 91 54 97 70 
			 WestMidlands 251 136 178 123 222 135 
			 WestYorkshire 125 78 170 113 155 114 
			 Wiltshire 27 19 50 32 37 22 
			 Dyfed-Powys 24 17 43 16 37 16 
			 Gwent 45 17 55 23 41 22 
			 NorthWales 37 28 53 33 48 28 
			 SouthWales 103 45 102 63 125 56 
			 Total 3,693 2,070 4,318 2,416 4,162 2,567 
			 (1) Includes offences under: S.14 Sexual Offences Act 1956, as amended by S.2 Indecency with Children Act 1960 S.15 Sexual Offences Act 1956 SS.2,3,6,7 Sexual Offences Act 2003. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice Ref: 150-13 Table 2

Crime Prevention: Young People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives set out in the Government's November 2011 report on Ending Gang and Youth Violence.

Jeremy Browne: The 'Ending Gang and Youth Violence' report set out cross-Government commitments and examples of local initiatives. In November 2012, the Government published a 'One Year On' report which outlined progress. The report can be found on the Home Office website.
	An assessment of the programme in local areas will be published in the autumn.

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential costs and benefits of recording the rate of occurrence of cyber crime.

James Brokenshire: The Government is encouraging people to report the cyber crimes that they experience. This provides us with a better understanding of the scale and changing nature of the threat, increases our ability to tackle it and allows us to support victims.
	The National Fraud Authority's Action Fraud reporting tool is now the central point of contact for information about fraud and financially motivated cyber crime. It also acts as the UK's national reporting centre for these crimes. The latest Action Fraud figures show that between February 2012 and January 2013 there were 58,232 reports of financially motivated cyber crime and Computer Misuse Act 1990 offences. This amounted to a total loss of over £134 million.
	By April 2013, all police forces will also have a single mechanism for reporting fraud and financially motivated cyber crime to Action Fraud. This will ensure higher reporting levels and help to improve the response to these crimes.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  who her Department's cycling champion is;
	(2)  what progress her Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee;
	(3)  whether her Department has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme.

James Brokenshire: Kevin White, the Home Office HR director general is the current cycle to work champion.
	The Home Office is a member of businesscycle, the Cycle to Work guarantee. The Home Office provides the following facilities as recommended by businesscycle:
	secure location for bike storage, shower and changing facilities
	The Home Office launched its cycle to work scheme on 9 October 2009.

Demonstrations: Civil Proceedings

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on (a) the provision of information by the police to private companies that are planning or taking civil legal action against protesters, where those protesters may be subject to criminal proceedings, (b) the timing of the provision of such information and (c) provision of other practical assistance by the police to companies taking civil proceedings, including service or quasi-service of court papers; whether her Department has established any formal procedures or organisations to (i) facilitate the flow of any such information and (ii) establish compliance with or breach of any such procedures and policies; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 February 2013
	Peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society, provided it is within the law. The police’s consultation with protest organisers and affected companies is an operational matter for them, as is the enforcement of any civil proceedings.
	The Home Office does not have a specific policy on the disclosure of information by the police to private companies that are planning or taking civil legal action against protestors, where those protestors may be subject to criminal proceedings.

Deportation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to ensure that the UK Border Agency complies with the recommendations of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on the treatment of children and pregnant women in removal practices.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency considers all HM Inspectorate of Prisons recommendations carefully and responds to them formally with a service improvement plan, copies of which are placed in the House Library.
	The recommendation that force should never be used to effect the removal of pregnant women or of children has been rejected.
	Established principles for managing difficult or violent behaviour by pregnant women and children are already in place which emphasise verbal de-escalation and persuasion techniques and engaging with family members, including children, to help them work through their concerns and the source of their anxiety.
	Only as a last resort is non-compliance or violence managed through other means, by staff who have received the appropriate training. Physical intervention is subject to a vigorous risk assessment and undertaken on a planned basis with the authority of a senior member of staff.
	The UK Border Agency is working to develop a behaviour policy for children to ensure that they continue to be protected throughout the Returns Process, including during stays at Cedars Pre-Departure Accommodation.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the equipment needed to undertake (a) roadside drug testing and (b) police station drug testing; and when she expects to license such equipment for police forces in England and Wales;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the training required by police forces for undertaking roadside drug testing;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the (a) number of roadside drug testing devices required by police forces in England and Wales in the period up to 2015 and (b) approximate unit cost of such devices;
	(4)  whether she plans that the purchase and supply of roadside or other drug testing equipment be undertaken on a national or local basis.

Damian Green: No assessment has been made of the training required by police forces in England and Wales to undertake roadside drug-driving testing. This is an operational matter for chief officers in consultation with roadside drug testing device manufacturers. Once manufactured and type approved, decisions on the number and type of devices to purchase are also operational decisions for chief officers as they will know what best meets their individual force needs. One drug screener for use in police stations in possible drug-driving cases was type approved by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) in December 2012. Work is continuing towards introducing further devices for use in police stations. To enable police officers to identify drivers committing the proposed new drug-driving offence, manufacturers will be invited to submit roadside drug testing devices for type approval. Once the Government considers the Expert Panel’s report, due to be published shortly, alongside all other factors, a detailed specification and an invitation to submit devices to enter the ‘type approval process’ will be issued. It will then be for manufacturers to submit a device that meets the requirements of the specification. This will ensure that roadside devices cover the relevant drugs, providing a reliable indication that a driver has committed an offence.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she plans to have with police and crime commissioners on the introduction of roadside drug testing.

Damian Green: No discussions will be held with police and crime commissioners (PCCs). Decision on taking forward roadside drug testing are a matter for discussion between PCCs and chief constables in the context of setting force priorities and deciding the resources allocated to them.

Drugs: Ferries

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers entering the UK on ferries have been (a) found in possession of a Class A drug and (b) fined in each year since 2006.

Mark Harper: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of ferry passengers entering the UK each year who are found in possession of a class A drug; only the number of seizures that occur and the quantity seized are recorded. National quarterly drug seizures are reported on the UK Border Agency website, please see following link:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/drug-seizures/
	Passengers in possession of Class A drugs are normally arrested. It is then a matter for the courts to decide the appropriate penalty upon conviction. We do not hold data on penalties issued by the courts to individuals.

Elections: Crime

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of (a) electoral fraud, (b) crimes of racism and discrimination related to elections and (c) other election-related crime have been recorded in the last 30 years.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office.

Entry Clearances: Appeals

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the changes in visa application rules implemented in June 2012, how many appeals against visa refusals as a result of these changes have been submitted in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency; how many such appeals were successful; how many such appeals went to tribunal; and what the cost to the Exchequer was of such appeals.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 February 2013
	In June 2012 changes to the immigration rules for family settlement visas were laid before Parliament. These changes were implemented on 9 July 2012. Additionally, the Government laid the Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2012 which were also implemented on 9 July 2012, and which changed the categories qualifying for a full right of appeal against the refusal of a visa to visit a family member in the UK.
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) collate data relating to appeals, which is published and available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/tribunals/quarterly
	Appeals data is affected by various factors and is not solely linked to these particular policy changes. Consequently, the data cannot be broken down in the way that you have requested.
	Appeal costs can range from approximately £900 in lower cost appeal types, such as visit visa appeals, to more than £1,800 in more complex appeal types.

Entry Clearances: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the changes in visa application rules implemented in June 2012, how many appeals against visa refusals as a result of such changes have been submitted by residents of Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency, how many of such appeals were successful; how many such appeals went to tribunal; and what the cost to the Exchequer was of such appeals.

Mark Harper: In June 2012 changes to the Immigration Rules for family settlement visas were laid before Parliament. These changes were implemented on 9 July 2012. Additionally, the government laid the Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2012 which were also implemented on 9 July 2012, and which changed the categories qualifying for a full right of appeal against the refusal of a visa to visit a family member in the UK.
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) collate data relating to appeals, which is published and available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/tribunals/quarterly
	Appeals data is affected by various factors and is not solely linked to these particular policy changes. Consequently, the data cannot be broken down in the way requested.
	Appeal costs can range from approximately £900 in lower cost appeal types, such as visit visa appeals, to more than £1,800 in more complex appeal types.

Free Movement of People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports she has received on whether Romanian and Bulgarian citizens are abusing principles of free movement in the EU.

Mark Harper: holding answer 14 February 2013
	The reports I have seen on fraud and abuse of free movement rights ordinarily focus on the type of abuse, rather than on any specific nationality. It remains clear, however, that fraud and abuse of free movement rights is a significant Europe-wide problem, and we are working to curb such abuse domestically, and through co-operation with our European partners.

Hillsborough Stadium

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to avoid officers suspected of misconduct in the Hillsborough disaster retiring;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential effects on the Hillsborough investigation of the retirement of police officers.

Damian Green: It would be inappropriate to comment specifically on investigations into allegations connected with the Hillsborough disaster while these investigations are ongoing. The Secretary of State for the Home Department announced a package of measures to improve police integrity to Parliament on 12 February 2013, Official Report , columns 713-25. One of these measures will prevent officers from avoiding misconduct proceedings by retiring.

Human Trafficking Ministerial Group

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking was suspended before it was reconvened in May 2010.

Mark Harper: holding answer 11 February 2013
	In May 2010 the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group was refocused to take forward this Government's priorities on human trafficking and has met regularly to fulfil that role.

Human Trafficking: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department’s most recent assessment is of the level of human trafficking in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Provisional data from the National Referral Mechanism indicates there were 15 potential victims of trafficking referred in 2012.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average fine was for employers prosecuted for hiring illegal foreign workers in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The information requested is in the following table. The figures are based on civil penalties served to employers within the UK for employing illegal migrant workers under section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, at the initial stage of the civil penalty process. Under section 15 a civil penalty, as opposed to a prosecution, is the usual level of sanction incurred. The figures therefore do not relate to prosecutions.
	Following receipt of a civil penalty, employers have the right to submit grounds of objection against the imposition of the penalty within 28 days and lodge an appeal against the penalty decision to a county court. Therefore penalties may subsequently be reduced, cancelled or reissued at the objection and appeal stages.
	
		
			 Period Average level of penalty issued to an employer (£) 
			 29 February to 31 December 2008 9,647 
			 2009 10,057 
			 2010 9,076 
			 2011 8,654 
			 2012 8,870 
			 Note: The figures provided are sourced from a UK Border Agency management information system which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and is subject to change due to internal data quality checking. Figures provided from this source do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional. 
		
	
	It is possible for an employer to be prosecuted for having employed an illegal worker under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, or section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. The criminal offence of working illegally is failing to observe conditions of leave. This category also includes prosecutions for other offences such as claiming benefits not entitled too. It is therefore not possible to state how many employers were prosecuted for the employment of illegal workers.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those fines issued to employers prosecuted for hiring illegal foreign workers was in excess of £10,000 in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The information requested is in the following table. The figures are based on civil penalties served to employers within the UK for employing illegal migrant workers under section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, at the initial stage of the civil penalty process. Under section 15 a civil penalty, as opposed to a prosecution, is the usual level of sanction incurred. The figures therefore do not relate to prosecutions.
	Following receipt of a civil penalty employers have the right to submit grounds of objection against the imposition of the penalty within 28 days and lodge an appeal against the penalty decision to a county court. Therefore penalties may subsequently be reduced, cancelled or re-issued at the objection and appeal stages.
	
		
			 Period Percentage of penalties in excess of £10,000 
			 29 February to 31 December 2008 21 
			 2009 24 
			 2010 20 
			 2011 16 
			 2012 18 
			 Note: The figures provided are sourced from a UK Border Agency management information system which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and is subject to change due to internal data quality checking. Figures provided from this source do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional. 
		
	
	It is possible for an employer to be prosecuted for having employed an illegal worker under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, or section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 The criminal offence of working illegally is Failing to Observe Conditions of Leave. This category also includes prosecutions for other offences such as claiming benefits not entitled too. It is therefore not possible to state how many employers were prosecuted for the employment of illegal workers.

Immigrants: Detainees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people detained for immigration purposes were recorded as being in a state where their health was likely to be injuriously affected by detention or any condition of detention in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Mark Harper: holding answer 14 February 2013
	Rule 35 (1) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 sets out requirements for doctors at removal centres to report any detained person whose health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued detention or any conditions of detention.
	The health of all detainees is monitored closely, and the health care professionals who work in the detention estate are required to report cases where it is considered that a person's health is being affected by continued detention.
	The medical advice from health care teams and visiting specialists would be taken into account in reaching decisions about the care and treatment of detainees, including the issue of whether a person should continue to be detained.
	Management information for the administration of reports submitted under Rule 35 (1) is available for the period 1 January to 30 September 2012. It is provisional and subject to change.
	Records prior to this period were locally held manual records for administrative purposes and are not available.
	
		
			 Rule 35 report type Q1 Q2 Q3 Total 
			 Rule 35(1) Health Concerns (2012) 35 31 9 75

Immigrants: Detainees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons detained for immigration purposes in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 were considered to have potentially been a victim of torture.

Mark Harper: Rule 35 (3) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 sets out requirements for doctors at removal centres to report any detained person for whom there are concerns that they may have been a victim of torture.
	Management information for the administration of reports submitted under Rule 35 (3) is available for the period 1 January to 30 September 2012. This information is provisional and subject to change. Records prior to this period were locally held manual records for administrative purposes and are not available.
	
		
			 Rule 35 report type Q1 Q2 Q3 Total 
			 Rule 35 (3) Torture Concerns [2012] 295 287 315 897

Immigrants: English Language

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which independent organisations which provide English language testing services are approved by the UK Border Agency.

Mark Harper: Details of the UK Border Agency's approved English language test providers are available at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/can-you-apply/english-language/

Immigration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public enquiry office appointments have been available for those applying for indefinite leave to remain in each of the last 12 weeks.

Mark Harper: The information requested is not held in the format required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration Controls

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many checks performed by the UK Border Agency Employer Checking Service took longer than the service standard of five working days in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: The information requested is not available in the format required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Applications

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time for applications from (a) the UK and (b) Scotland for (i) Tier 2 visas, (ii) student visas, (iii) indefinite leave to remain and (iv) leave to enter was in each year since 2010.

Mark Harper: holding answer 31 January 2013
	The information requested is shown the following tables:
	
		
			 Table 1: Application processing times, 2010 to 2012, UK 
			 Days 
			  Despatch year 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 PBS Tier 2 (in country) 36 42 56 
			 PBS Tier 4 (in country) 57 46 90 
			 Indefinite leave to remain (in country) 205 127 158 
			 Leave to enter (out of country) 9 8 8 
			 1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. In country figures relate to main applicants only, leave to enter figures relate to main applicants and dependants. 3. In country figures relate to postal applications only. 4. In country figures relate to cases with decision despatched date between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2012; leave to enter figures relate to cases with decision despatch date between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. Both data sets are a subset of published statistics and figures provided in line with publication dates. 5. Average processing time for in country cases based on calendar days between application raised (received) and despatch date, and calendar days between biometric enrolment and despatch date for leave to enter cases. 6. Figures exclude student leave to remain cases which were superseded by the introduction of Tier 4 under the points based system (PBS). 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Application processing times, 2010 to 2012, Scotland 
			 Days 
			  Despatch year 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 PBS Tier 2 (in country) 38 44 55 
			 PBS Tier 4 (in country) 57 49 77 
		
	
	
		
			 Indefinite leave to remain (in country) 125 85 137 
			 1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications only. 4. Figures relate to cases with decision despatched date between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2012. 5. Average processing time based on calendar days between application raised (received) and despatch date. 6. Data for Scotland based on applicant's latest notified postcode. Applicants resident in Scotland in specified years who subsequently relocated will not appear in the data, while those living elsewhere, but who now have a Scottish address, will be included. 7. Leave to enter data cannot be disaggregated by postcode. 8. Figures exclude student leave to remain cases which were superseded by the introduction of Tier 4 under the points based system (PBS).

Immigration: Applications

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants from (a) the UK and (b) Scotland for (i) Tier 2 visas, (ii) student visas, (iii) indefinite leave to remain and (iv) leave to enter waited longer than four weeks for a decision on their application in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 31 January 2013
	The answer to this question can be found in the following tables:
	
		
			 Table 1: Applications decided in four weeks, 2010 to 2012, UK 
			  Despatch year 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			  0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 
			 PBS Tier 2 (in country) 7,380 14,940 3,075 12,905 1,895 22,315 
			 PBS Tier 4 (in country) 25,540 101,395 27,690 77,075 4,005 80,280 
			 Student leave to remain (in country) 5 2,925 (1)— 330 0 70 
			 Indefinite leave to remain (in country) 18,195 63,835 7,840 60,875 1,910 58,185 
			 Leave to enter (out of country) 2,375,740 170,995 2,486,690 126,925 2,474,000 92,425 
			 (1) One or two. Notes: 1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. In country figures relate to main applicants only, leave to enter figures relate to main applicants and dependants. 3. In country figures relate to postal applications only. 4. In country figures relate to cases with decision despatched date between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2012, leave to enter figures relate to cases with decision despatch date between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. Both data sets are a subset of published statistics and figures provided in line with publication dates. 5. Processing time for in country cases based on 28 calendar days between application raised (received) and despatch date, and 20 working days between biometric enrolment and despatch date for leave to enter cases. 6. Figures rounded to nearest 5. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Applications decided in four weeks, 2010 to 2012, Scotland 
			  Despatch year 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			  0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 0-4 weeks 4+ weeks 
			 PBS Tier 2 (in country) 335 790 140 765 95 1,365 
			 PBS Tier 4 (in country) 960 5,090 675 3,945 105 4,505 
			 Student leave to remain (in country) 0 60 0 5 0 7,970 
			 Indefinite leave to remain (in country) 685 2,055 235 1,935 40 2,100 
			 Notes: 1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications only. 4. Figures relate to cases with decision despatched date between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2012. 5. Processing time based on 28 calendar days between application raised (received) and despatch date. 6. Data for Scotland based on applicant's postcode. 7. Leave to enter data cannot be disaggregated by postcode. 8. Figures rounded to nearest 5.

Immigration: Applications

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time is for a case worker to consider an application for an extension.

Mark Harper: The average time for a case worker to consider an application for an extension varies depending on the case type. Different immigration categories take varying amounts of time to consider depending on the complexity of the route.

Immigration: Applications

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what service improvement plans are in place to ensure that the processing of permanent migration applications happens within service standards.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency commenced a service improvement plan within the Permanent Migration Operation in October 2012. As part of this improvement plan Permanent Migration have increased operational capacity through internal reallocation of existing resources, increased its evening working capacity, extended weekend and evening overtime and recruited additional agency staff.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of other EU member states have registered under the provisions of Part 3 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 in each year since 2006; and what estimate she has made of the number of such nationals living in the UK who have not applied to be registered under those regulations.

Mark Harper: The available information relating to EU nationals issued registration certificates under part 3 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 since 2006 are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Registration certificates issued 
			  Number 
			 2006 49,694 
			 2007 47,750 
			 2008 25,978 
			 2009 35,104 
			 2010 22,164 
			 2011 20,835 
			 Source: Table ee.02 
		
	
	Figures on the issue and refusal of registration certificates are published on an annual basis. Latest figures are available in Table ee.02 of the release 'Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012' which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q3-2012/
	Data for 2012 are planned for publication on 29 August 2013.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes information relating to the number of EU nationals living in the UK, however the data sets are not comparable for the purposes of establishing how many EU nationals living in the UK have not registered.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of other EU member states have been (a) admitted and (b) refused entry to the UK under Regulation 11(2) of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 in each year since 2006.

Mark Harper: The available estimates of EEA and Swiss national passengers admitted to the UK in each year since 2006 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  EEA and Swiss passenger arrivals (million) 
			 2006 22.3 
			 2007 24.2 
			 2008 24.6 
			 2009 26.7 
			 2010 28.1 
			 2011 29.8 
			 Source: Table ad.01 
		
	
	These figures encompass all arrivals, including visitors, and transit passengers. It is not possible to separately identify EU nationals within the estimates of passenger admissions.
	Published figures of EU passengers initially refused entry to the UK in each year since 2006 are as follows:
	
		
			  EU passengers initially refused entry 
			 2006 510 
			 2007 720 
			 2008 552 
			 2009 467 
			 2010 463 
			 2011 558 
			 Source: Table be.08 
		
	
	Figures for 2011 are provisional and 2006 excludes Bulgaria and Romania, who joined the EU in 2007.
	EU nationals can only be refused entry to the UK on the basis of public policy, public security or public health and such cases are assessed on an individual basis.
	Latest figures are available in Tables ad.01 and be.08 of the release ‘Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012’ which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q3-2012/
	Estimates of passenger arrivals for 2012 are planned for publication on 29 August 2013, while figures for passengers initially refused entry in 2012 will be published on 28 February 2013.

Immigration: Married People

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration applications for residence as the spouse of an EU citizen are outstanding (a) six months and (b) one year after the claimant's biometrics were taken.

Mark Harper: European Economic Area nationals and their families are not required to have biometrics taken when making an application to the UK Border Agency.

Immigration: Married People

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many live appeals there are against refusal of leave to remain as a spouse;
	(2)  how many immigration appeals against refusal of leave to remain as a spouse are outstanding (a) six months and (b) one year after the appeal was made.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency does not record information on the number of live outstanding appeals in a format which would enable it to answer these questions. Undertaking an exercise to manually collate these figures would incur disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential level of immigration to Northern Ireland from Bulgaria and Romania when transitional controls expire in January 2014.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 26W.
	Rather than produce speculative forecasts, the Government's priority is to cut out abuse of free movement and address pull factors such as access to benefits and public services.
	The Home Office is working closely with other Government Departments on these issues.

Marriage of Convenience

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) UK Border Agency enforcement officers and (b) police officers are currently working to tackle sham marriages.

Mark Harper: holding answer 14 February 2013
	Sham marriage and the resulting abuse of the UK immigration system will not be tolerated. Proactive targeting of sham marriages is part of a wider enforcement strategy to make the UK unwelcoming to those looking to flout immigration laws. Specialist immigration officers are carrying out regular enforcement and crime operations to target this issue.

MI5: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many MI5 files relating to Welsh nationalists are held by (a) the security services and (b) the National Archives.

James Brokenshire: It is a long standing government policy to neither confirm nor deny the specific details of the files held by the Security Service. The Security Service systematically reviews files and, if appropriate, release records in accordance with the criteria agreed by the National Archives. They have voluntarily pursued a policy of review and consideration for the release of files into the public domain for a number of years. Files less than 50 years old are not routinely considered for review and/or release. To date the Security Service has released nearly 4,000 files to the National Archives covering a period up to 1957. An overview of this list can be accessed from the National Archives website at:
	www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Passports: Post Offices

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2012, Official Report, column 276W, on post offices, what assessment she has made of (a) the extent and (b) the adequacy of the provision of passport applications by post offices; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Post Office Ltd (POL) operates the Check & Send service on behalf of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). The service is currently available at 2,750 Post Office branches and sub branches. IPS receives around 5.5 million passport applications each year and, in 2012-13, POL handled 55% of all passport applications received by IPS.
	The Check & Send service assists customers by providing information on the completion of the application form, ensuring that the form is properly completed and making sure that the customer supplies the correct supporting documentation. POL then sends the completed application form and associated documents to IPS for consideration. Applications received by IPS have significantly fewer errors than applications received directly from the public and applications can be processed with little or no additional contact with the customer.
	IPS does regularly review with POL the number and location of branches that are able to offer the Check & Send service and as a consequence of this, 135 new branches joined the network in November 2012. In addition, a further 50 branches are planned to be added to the network in the next three months.

Police

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer from the Prime Minister of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 855, if she will publish the (a) definition of neighbourhood police officers and (b) sources of the figures used in that answer.

Damian Green: The guidance that the Home Office provides for police forces defines the ‘neighbourhoods’ function as ‘staff predominantly employed in Neighbourhood Policing Teams, including Police Community Support Officers and officers/staff in supporting roles’.
	The figures used in the Prime Minister’s answer are taken from the published police recorded crime statistics and the ‘Police Service Strength’ statistics.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of ballot papers were spoilt in each constabulary in the police and crime commissioner elections in November 2012.

Damian Green: Returning officers are responsible for calculating and publishing results, as in all elections. Details of the results of the police and crime commissioner elections are available in the certificates published by each of the 41 police area returning officers.

Police Cautions

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of offences were dealt with out of court in each year from 2002 to 2012 (a) in England and Wales and (b) by police authority area.

Jeremy Wright: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	The ratio of the number of notifiable offences given an out of court disposal with the number of notifiable police recorded crimes, by police force area in England and Wales, for the period 2002 to 2011 can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 Ratio of the number of notifiable offences given an out of court disposal with the number of notifiable police recorded crimes, by police force area in England and Wales, 2002-11(1) 
			 Police force area 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011(2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2.5 2.9 3.6 7.6 10.2 12.0 11.9 10.3 10.4 11.0 
			 Bedfordshire 4.6 5.1 6.5 9.0 9.7 9.2 10.5 10.6 7.8 7.7 
			 British Transport Police n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 12.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 2.8 2.8 4.2 7.9 9.6 12.2 11.9 11.0 11.1 10.7 
			 Cheshire 2.4 3.1 4.5 7.3 9.4 9.1 9.7 9.3 10.0 9.8 
			 Cleveland 3.1 3.6 4.8 8.3 13.9 13.8 14.7 15.0 14.1 12.0 
			 Cumbria 5.6 5.8 6.0 6.7 9.2 11.5 11.8 11.9 12.1 14.7 
			 Derbyshire 2.9 3.0 4.8 7.8 9.4 10.7 9.7 7.1 6.9 8.2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6.1 6.4 7.3 10.2 12.9 14.6 12.9 13.1 12.6 12.1 
			 Dorset 2.8 2.8 6.7 8.5 12.4 11.8 10.7 8.2 7.5 7.6 
			 Durham 4.9 5.2 5.4 6.9 10.4 10.8 11.0 12.0 14.6 14.7 
			 Dyfed Powys 16.2 16.4 13.0 19.9 23.4 21.9 21.5 23.8 22.5 26.2 
			 Essex 4.2 4.2 5.4 9.3 12.9 15.8 13.2 14.7 11.2 11.0 
			 Gloucestershire 6.8 5.2 6.8 10.6 13.4 13.4 11.7 11.2 8.3 7.4 
			 Greater Manchester 2.5 3.0 4.9 7.0 8.8 9.3 8.5 7.6 8.2 8.1 
			 Gwent 6.7 6.1 3.2 7.3 14.6 15.7 14.8 15.2 11.1 14.3 
			 Hampshire 4.6 4.2 5.8 7.5 8.0 10.2 8.5 8.5 8.9 8.9 
			 Hertfordshire 4.0 3.9 4.4 5.8 14.0 14.8 14.7 16.6 17.5 16.6 
			 Humberside 2.2 2.3 4.3 7.3 10.0 14.8 13.7 10.9 9.6 9.7 
			 Kent 5.1 6.1 7.8 10.1 12.0 14.4 14.8 17.8 14.2 13.0 
			 Lancashire 3.8 4.3 7.1 10.6 15.3 16.4 14.0 13.2 12.3 12.0 
			 Leicestershire 1.4 2.8 4.8 8.0 10.8 10.6 9.1 9.7 10.4 9.1 
			 Lincolnshire 3.7 3.6 4.6 11.4 12.1 13.0 12.6 11.7 8.9 9.9 
			 London 2.9 2.9 3.6 6.3 9.2 12.6 13.5 11.9 10.4 9.2 
			 Merseyside 2.6 2.7 4.1 10.5 13.3 14.6 17.5 18.1 17.2 13.9 
			 Norfolk 3.7 3.8 5.6 7.2 11.5 11.7 14.3 11.1 11.1 11.8 
			 North Wales 5.4 5.5 7.6 11.7 15.3 16.1 16.8 15.8 11.9 10.1 
			 North Yorkshire 4.1 3.9 6.3 6.1 8.9 14.4 11.7 10.9 9.7 11.6 
			 Northamptonshire 5.9 4.2 4.3 6.2 10.8 11.7 10.0 9.6 9.2 8.9 
			 Northumbria 7.9 8.4 9.1 10.8 13.8 17.3 16.4 18.1 15.4 14.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 2.4 3.0 4.1 7.0 9.7 9.8 8.9 9.7 10.4 12.8 
			 South Wales 2.6 3.7 5.0 6.0 8.3 10.8 9.3 10.5 9.9 10.3 
			 South Yorkshire 2.2 2.5 3.6 7.5 10.7 12.1 11.6 12.5 10.2 8.6 
			 Staffordshire 5.9 5.4 6.2 9.0 11.5 13.3 9.4 7.8 10.5 11.9 
			 Suffolk 6.6 7.3 8.4 9.2 11.7 14.3 15.3 13.3 9.5 9.2 
			 Surrey 6.6 7.4 12.6 9.9 12.8 15.5 11.3 9.3 8.6 8.5 
			 Sussex 6.1 6.2 7.3 10.4 11.8 15.6 11.8 15.5 12.1 10.6 
			 Thames Valley 3.3 3.4 5.5 11.7 11.4 13.1 12.1 9.7 8.9 10.1 
			 Warwickshire 5.1 5.5 6.1 11.0 12.6 12.9 12.0 11.7 11.0 8.8 
			 West Mercia 6.7 6.7 7.9 11.8 15.2 14.3 14.1 11.6 9.8 9.3 
			 West Midlands 4.6 5.2 6.2 9.2 10.8 11.0 11.3 9.7 5.9 6.1 
			 West Yorkshire 3.1 3.2 7.0 10.4 10.7 9.6 7.3 7.2 6.4 6.9 
			 Wiltshire 4.2 5.9 6.3 8.2 7.8 7.9 12.0 12.6 9.5 9.5 
			 England and Wales 3.8 4.0 5.4 8.3 10.8 12.4 11.8 11.3 10.2 10.0 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Includes cautions, Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) for offenders aged 16 and over, and formal warnings for cannabis possession. (2) Prior to 2011 cautions administered by the British Transport Police, were not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Notes: 1. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 2. Penalty Notices for Disorder and formal warnings for cannabis possession were introduced nationally in 2004. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Police: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent police officers were recruited in Copeland constituency in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: The requested information is not collected by the Home Office.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers currently serving in the Metropolitan Police Service are (a) black and (b) Asian.

Damian Green: There were 874 Black or Black British and 1,189 Asian or Asian British police officers serving in the Metropolitan Police Service as at 31 March 2012 (full-time equivalent).

Police: Pay

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of whether reducing starting salaries for police constables will affect levels of diversity within police forces.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), accepted the Police Arbitration Tribunal's recommendation that the starting salary for police constables should be between £19,000 and £22,000 depending on skills, relevant experience and local recruitment needs.
	Under this proposal, new constables will be able to reach the maximum pay more quickly than at present.
	Tom Winsor's Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions recommended a new pay scale after considering a range of evidence, including on recruitment and retention. Details of this are set out in Tom Winsor's final report.
	This recommendation was considered in the formal negotiation machinery, where police officers and leaders are represented. The Secretary of State considered the outcome of this process very carefully before deciding to accept the recommendation, in line with her statutory duties, including those relating to equality and diversity.

Police: Recruitment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants were interviewed for vacant positions for (a) chief constable and (b) deputy chief constable between January and July 2012.

Damian Green: There were 19 applicants for chief constable and deputy chief constable posts (or equivalent ranks) between January and July 2012. Of these, 16 were interviewed.
	Note:
	Information on the number of applicants interviewed is obtained from the Senior Appointments Panel database. Information is only provided where known.

Police: Recruitment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the candidates interviewed for the 12 chief constable positions appointed since November 2012 were (a) black or minority ethnic, (b) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and (c) female; and how many candidates were interviewed in total.

Damian Green: This information is not held by the Home Office. Since November 2012 the appointment of chief constables is a matter for police and crime commissioners.

Police: Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether she intends to review the curriculum at the Police Staff college;
	(2)  at what stage leadership is taught to police officers above the rank of inspector;
	(3)  whether she intends to review the training of senior police officers.

Damian Green: holding answer 12 February 2013
	Police training is the responsibility of the College of Policing. The College of Policing is currently completing the national policing curriculum, which will set standards for all policing roles. Once complete, the curriculum will be subject to continuous review.
	The College of Policing delivers a programme for leadership development for chief inspectors, superintendents and chief superintendents. Candidates for chief officer ranks are also given leadership training as part of the strategic command course. These courses are in addition to any specific leadership development delivered locally by police forces.
	The training of senior police officers is subject to review. Alex Marshall, the chief executive of the College of Policing, will work with chief police officers and external partners to review the best method of leadership development for senior police officers.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people she appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The number of new and reappointments made to Home Office public bodies between April 2010 and March 2012 is as follows:
	
		
			 Period New appointments Reappointments Total. 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 27 30 57 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 5 11 16 
		
	
	All of these appointments and reappointments were to bodies regulated by the commissioner for public appointments. The commissioner collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.
	The commissioner does not collect information regarding candidates' religion.

Recruitment

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office and its agencies have spent £129,609.58 on advertising job vacancies at senior civil servant level since 1 May 2010. These posts included recruitment for the National Crime Agency and Disclosure and Barring Service (six posts) and key posts in the UK Border Agency and Border Force (nine posts). Information for posts below this level is available only at disproportionate cost.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations her Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Mark Harper: The following table sets out the regulations which the Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013.
	In general, there was no quantifiable cost to the public purse flowing from the introduction of these regulations, subject to the following exceptions.
	The Explanatory Memorandum to the National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/1713) states that the impact on the public sector is £0.07 million.
	In addition, the Explanatory Memoranda to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Notification Requirements) (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/1876) and to the Licensing Act 2003 (Forms and Notices) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2290) state that the impact on the public sector is less than £5 million.
	Finally, the Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.L 2012/2276) made some minor reductions to the cost of travel documents which may have a cost impact on the public purse.
	
		
			 Regulations introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 
			 Title S.I. Number Made date 
			 The Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2012 2012/1532 13 June 2012 
			 The Immigration (European Economic Area) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/1547 19 June 2012 
			 The Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Exemption) (Aviation Security) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/1567 19 June 2012 
			 The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/1588 19 June 2012 
			 The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/1713 2 July 2012 
			 The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Notification Requirements) (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 2012/1876 16 July 2012 
			 The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (Authority to Carry) Regulations 2012 2012/1894 18 July 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Functions of Returning Officers) Regulations 2012 2012/1918 24 July 2012 
			 The Police (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2012 2012/1960 24 July 2012 
			 The Special Constables (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/1961 24 July 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Commissioner (Disqualification) (Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2012 2012/2087 9 August 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Returning Officers' Accounts) Regulations 2012 2012/2088 9 August 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Guernsey) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2107 14 August 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Jersey) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2108 14 August 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Isle of Man) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2109 14 August 2012 
			 The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2012 2012/2112 14 August 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2114 14 August 2012 
			 The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 2012/319 14 August 2012 
			 The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 2012/323 14 August 2012 
			 The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Controlled Activity and Prescribed Criteria) Regulations 2012 2012/2160 14 August 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Panels (Precepts and Chief Constable Appointments) Regulations 2012 2012/2271 3 September 2012 
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2276 4 September 2012 
			 The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2012 2012/2277 28 August 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 The Licensing Act 2003 (Forms and Notices) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2290 5 September 2012 
			 The Misuse of Drugs (Supply to Addicts) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2394 16 September 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Panels (Modification of Functions) Regulations 2012 2012/2504 2 October 2012 
			 The Late Night Levy (Expenses, Exemptions and Reductions) Regulations 2012 2012/2550 4 October 2012 
			 The Licensing Act 2003 (Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Orders) Regulations 2012 2012/2551 3 October 2012 
			 The Immigration (European Economic Area) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2012 2012/2560 11 October 2012 
			 The Police (Performance) Regulations 2012 2012/2631 18 October 2012 
			 The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012 2012/2632 18 October 2012 
			 The Crime and Disorder (Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2012/2660 22 October 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Guernsey) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2666 23 October 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Isle of Man) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2667 23 October 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Jersey) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2668 23 October 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2012 2012/2669 23 October 2012 
			 The Police (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2012 2012/2712 29 October 2012 
			 The Late Night Levy (Application and Administration) Regulations 2012 2012/2730 29 October 2012 
			 The Local Policing Bodies (Consequential Amendments No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2732 30 October 2012 
			 The Police and Crime Panels (Application of Local Authority Enactments) Regulations 2012 2012/2734 30 October 2012 
			 The Police Pensions (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 2012/2811 6 November 2012 
			 The Customs (Inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary and the Scottish Inspectors) Regulations 2012 2012/2840 12 November 2012 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2012 2012/3016 30 November 2012 
			 The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations 2012 2012/3039 18 December 2012 
			 The Police Pensions (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2012 2012/3057 5 December 2012 
			 The Police (Amendment No. 5) Regulations 2012 2012/3058 4 December 2012 
			 The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2013 2013/176 31 January 2013

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she intends to issue to police forces in England and Wales on the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013; and when any such guidance will be issued.

Jeremy Browne: Implementation of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 will include issuing detailed guidance about the legislative changes to police forces. The Home Office is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the British Transport Police on this and we anticipate that this guidance will be issued before the summer recess.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made any assessment of potential links between rising prices of legal tobacco products due to changes in taxation and demand for illegal and unregulated tobacco products.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	Tobacco duties are an important contributor to the public finances, and also support health objectives. The Government is fully committed to tackling the illicit trade in tobacco and ensuring that smuggling does not undermine the health and revenue benefits of real increases in tobacco duties. A number of issues, including the levels and trends in the illicit market for tobacco, are considered in making decisions on duty rates.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the UK Border Agency have an established and effective strategy to tackle the illicit trade, which has substantially reduced both the cigarette and' hand-rolling tobacco illicit markets.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to deal with illegal tobacco smuggling.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The Government is fully committed to tackling the illicit trade in tobacco products and ensuring that smuggling does not undermine the health and revenue benefits of real increases in tobacco duties.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Border Force have an established and effective strategy to tackle illicit trade, which has substantially reduced both the cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco illicit markets since the launch of the first Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Strategy in 2000. As a result, the mid-point estimate of the UK illicit market share for cigarettes has reduced from 21% to 9% and for hand-rolling tobacco from 61% to 38% by 2010-11.
	HMRC continually adapts and develops its tobacco strategy to meet changing risks and threats. Through the 2010 spending review HMRC has invested a further £25 million to strengthen the strategy and maintain downward pressure on the illicit market through to 2014-15.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are based in each property used by her Department.

James Brokenshire: Table 1 provides information on how many staff in the Home Department worked at each location on the latest date for which information is available (31 January 2013). Not all the properties belong to the Home Office estate.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of staff in the Home Office at each location at 31 January 2013 
			 Building Total headcount Total headcount FTE 
			 East Midlands   
			 Belgrave Centre ** ** 
			 Building 16 Main Terminal 60 57.64 
			 East Midlands Airport ** ** 
			 HMP Wolds 7 7 
			 Lincoln Place 6 5.24 
			 Pembroke House 90 82.02 
			 Reporting Centre 15 12.82 
			 Stuart House 8 6.48 
			 Wellington House ** ** 
			    
			 East of England   
			 Sandridge 126 124.17 
			 40 Carriage Drive ** ** 
			 Airport 8 5.78 
			 Alexander House ** ** 
			 Aragon Court 487 429.99 
			 Cambridge Airport Terminal ** ** 
			 Cambridge Science Park ** ** 
			 Custom House 141 136.35 
			 Custom House Viewpoint Road 228 217.07 
			 Franklin Court 51 48.21 
			 Haven House 7 7 
			 HMP The Mount ** ** 
			 Landing Stage Tilbury Docks ** ** 
			 Luton Airport 92 79.63 
			 New Terminal Stansted Airport 28 25.8 
			 NPIA, Wyboston Lakes 5 5 
			 Police Station—Felixstowe 14 14 
			 Rosebury House ** ** 
			 Silvaco Building ** ** 
			 Slade House 15 14.38 
			 Southend Airport ** ** 
			 Southern Lodge ** ** 
			 St Clare House ** ** 
			 Stansted Airport ** ** 
			 Stuart House 28 26.4 
			 Wigney House 18 16.89 
			 Yarlswood 34 30.98 
			    
			 London   
			 2 Marsham Street 3,084 3,010.01 
			 6 New Square 261 248.76 
			 Apollo House 924 855.89 
			 Becket House 590 563.51 
			 Canterbury Court 13 12.89 
			 Colnbrook Bypass 130 126.11 
			 Eaton House 297 283.89 
			 Electric House 314 297.63 
			 Lunar House 2,143 1,980.17 
			 Metro Point 239 233.78 
			 Steel House ** ** 
			 10 Great George Street 79 78.27 
			 10-18 Victoria Street ** ** 
			 100 Parliament Street ** ** 
			 102 Petty France ** ** 
			 109 Lambeth Road ** ** 
		
	
	
		
			 165 Fleet Street 87 84.86 
			 30 Millbank ** ** 
			 38 Midhurst Road 6 6 
			 Allington Towers 8 7.82 
			 Amadeus House 90 86.3 
			 Angel Square Building 90 86.26 
			 Ashley House 12 11.44 
			 Bedford Point 68 65.02 
			 Churchill Place 23 21.99 
			 City Airport 55 52.89 
			 Clive House ** ** 
			 Communications House 15 14.69 
			 Custom House 7 6.21 
			 Custom House Annexe ** ** 
			 D’Albiac House 899 873.62 
			 Dorset House 18 18 
			 F&CO Abu Dhabi ** ** 
			 F&CO Amsterdam ** ** 
			 F&CO Beijing ** ** 
			 F&CO Dhaka ** ** 
			 F&CO Lagos ** ** 
			 F&CO Manila ** ** 
			 F&CO Mumbai ** ** 
			 F&CO Nuremberg ** ** 
			 F&CO Paris 5 5 
			 F&CO Quito ** ** 
			 F&CO Washington DC ** ** 
			 Feltham Green 37 35.18 
			 Globe House 464 440.74 
			 Green Park House 28 25.44 
			 Hannibal House ** ** 
			 Hanover House 17 15.14 
			 Heathrow Airport 1,026 964.72 
			 Heliting House ** ** 
			 HMP Wandsworth 6 5.76 
			 Jubilee House ** ** 
			 Morley House ** ** 
			 Mount Pleasant 8 7.69 
			 NPIA, Hendon Data Centre 160 158.43 
			 PO Box 29105 11 8.19 
			 St Annes House 17 15.38 
			 St Pancras International Terminal 40 38.05 
			 Status Park 345 328.68 
			 Waterloo International ** ** 
			 Westminster Wing ** ** 
			 Whitgift Centre 44 39.06 
			    
			 North East   
			 Dobson House Regent Centre ** ** 
			 Eustace House 41 40.24 
			 Harperley Hall ** ** 
			 Link House 79 77.02 
			 Millburngate House 705 611.9 
			 NE Co Durham ** ** 
			 Newcastle Airport 60 56.54 
			 North Star House 5 5 
			 Northumbria House 48 45.62 
			 Tees Valley Airport 14 12.61 
			 Victoria House 29 27.58 
			    
			 North West   
			 Brooklands House 40 39.31 
			 The Capital 1,496 1,381.99 
			 101 Old Hall Street 435 390.3 
		
	
	
		
			 4M Building 51 48.75 
			 Blackpool Airport ** ** 
			 City Square 7 6.24 
			 Comben House 20 19.16 
			 Concorde Offices—PO Box 191 207 195.34 
			 Cumbria Constab ** ** 
			 Cunard Building ** ** 
			 Custom House ** ** 
			 Dallas Court 83 80.45 
			 HMP Risley 7 7 
			 India Buildings 10 9.6 
			 Liverpool Airport 65 63.67 
			 Manchester Airport 281 268.6 
			 Mercury Court ** ** 
			 Queens Dock 10 9.74 
			 Ralli Quays 13 12.78 
			 Reliance House 33 31.8 
			 Seaforth Docks Berth 32 24 23.34 
			 Shannon Court ** ** 
			 Smedley Hydro 528 463.92 
			 Terminal 1 Manchester Airport 29 28.38 
			 The Plaza 15 13.54 
			 West Point 38 36.08 
			 Westminster House 105 89.77 
			    
			 Northern Ireland   
			 Carne House 16 15.43 
			 City Airport 111 109.22 
			 Hamption House 6 ** 
			 IPS Belfast 174 156.8 
			    
			 Not Known   
			 Not Known 9 6.2 
			    
			 Overseas   
			 Coquelles 21 19.93 
			 Gare Du Nord 40 40 
			 Petiet Dena Building 12 12 
			 Port De Calais 47 45.64 
			 Station Midi 32 32 
			    
			 Scotland   
			 Festival Court 232 221.65 
			 2 Thistle Road 7 7 
			 3 Northgate 135 130 
			 44 York Place ** ** 
			 Aberdeen Airport 19 17.47 
			 Apex House ** ** 
			 Dungavel 6 5.08 
			 Eagle Building ** ** 
			 Edinburgh Airport—Almond House 89 84.8 
			 Falcon House 40 39.65 
			 Glasgow Airport 72 67.91 
			 Inverness Airport ** ** 
			 Northgate 32 29.5 
			 PO Box 6779 7 6.59 
			 Prestwick Airport 19 16.12 
			 Rosyth Airport ** ** 
			 Ruby House 15 15 
			 Terminal Build, Port of Rosyth ** ** 
			    
			 South East   
			 Langhurst House 41 39.01 
		
	
	
		
			 Martello House 667 626.01 
			 Ashdown House 88 83.53 
			 Anchorage House ** ** 
			 Astd General Off No1 Cont Bild 8 8 
			 Atlantic House 181 169.48 
			 Belgrave House 5 5 
			 Bouverie House 8 6.58 
			 Bridge House ** ** 
			 Brunswick House ** ** 
			 Campsfield House 6 6 
			 Car Hall No1 Control Building 170 160.73 
			 Cedars ** ** 
			 Cheriton Parc ** ** 
			 Compass House 128 122.14 
			 Concorde House South Terminal 253 244.6 
			 Control Building 11 9.53 
			 Custom House 44 41.59 
			 Customs Office 20 19.57 
			 Dasc Building—East Camber—FSU 19 17.38 
			 Dog Kennels Priory Court 100 92.9 
			 East Control Building 62 60.85 
			 Enterprise House 46 41.95 
			 FASD 248 229.79 
			 Ferry Terminal 11 9.75 
			 Freight Clearance Centre Warden Square 58 53.07 
			 Frontier House 34 32.46 
			 Gatwick Airport 171 160.05 
			 Haslar 8 7.47 
			 Hoverport 10 9 
			 International 110 100.99 
			 Kettering Terrace—Norman House 132 126.4 
			 Kings Reach 12 10.5 
			 Medvale House 8 7.75 
			 National Police Training 40 38.3 
			 Norman House 137 136.93 
			 Not Known ** ** 
			 Passenger Terminal Harwich Port 7 6.15 
			 Platinum House ** ** 
			 PO Box 200 ** ** 
			 Priory Court 185 176.23 
			 Sapphire Plaza ** ** 
			 Stansted Airport 202 181.22 
			 The Harbour 24 22.58 
			 Timberham House ** ** 
			 Tinsley House 10 9.58 
			 U41 Building 219 203.67 
			 Warwick House ** ** 
			 White Cliffs 12 11.11 
			    
			 South West   
			 Ballard House-Plymouth Ferry ** ** 
			 Bristol Airport 58 53.5 
			 Conference House 40 38.21 
			 Custom House 6 6 
			 HMP The Verne ** ** 
			 ION Plymouth 15 14 
			 Monarch House ** ** 
			 Off Park Unit 44 40.25 
			 PO Box 1138 5 ** 
			 Poole Harbour ** ** 
			 Portcullis House 6 5.5 
			 Rivergate ** ** 
			 Robert Roger House 57 51.41 
			 Spring Gardens House ** ** 
		
	
	
		
			 West Point 76 71.57 
			    
			 Wales   
			 General Buildings 177 169.55 
			 Cardiff International Airport 36 35.79 
			 Cathays Park ** ** 
			 Concept House 15 13.33 
			 Custom House The Dockyard 14 14 
			 Heol Pentrefelin 9 8.81 
			 North Wales Enforcement Unit 7 7 
			 Olympia House 167 150.97 
			 Passenger Term 15 14.68 
			 Phoenix House ** ** 
			 Platform 1 13 13 
			 Poplar House ** ** 
			 Portcullis House 5 ** 
			 Welsh Assembly Government ** ** 
			 Windsor Place ** ** 
			    
			 West Midlands   
			 Chadwick House 134 125.27 
			 Coventry Hub Siskin Parkway West 83 78.7 
			 Sandford House 193 182.19 
			 Admin Block Cargo Centre 16 15.8 
			 Alpha Tower ** ** 
			 Bartleet House ** ** 
			 Bennett House ** ** 
			 Birmingham Airport Pax 16 16 
			 Birmingham International Airport 89 84.28 
			 Calthorpe House ** ** 
			 Coventry Airport ** ** 
			 Diamond House ** ** 
			 Dog Unit Eurohub ** ** 
			 Dominion Court 49 44.55 
			 Eurohub 28 26.72 
			 HMP Hewell ** ** 
			 Kensington House 9 8 
			 National Police Improvement 8 7.62 
			 PO Box 31 5 ** 
			 Sapphire East ** ** 
			 St Philips Place 5 ** 
			 Stoke Bennett House 38 35.7 
			 Two Broadway ** ** 
			 Unit 6240 Bishops Court ** ** 
			 Vienna House 50 48.37 
			 Westgate House ** ** 
			    
			 Yorkshire and the Humber   
			 Milton House 51 50.92 
			 Vulcan House 1,341 1,206.65 
			 Waterside House 74 71.54 
			 Aspect Court ** ** 
			 Concept House ** ** 
			 Custom House 184 177.38 
			 Estuary Business Park Unit 30 27.46 
			 Exchange Brewery ** ** 
			 Foundry House 7 6.97 
			 Francis Street 6 5.69 
			 Humberside Airport ** ** 
			 Leeds Bradford Airport 27 25.81 
			 Lindholme ** ** 
			 Moorfield Business Park ** ** 
			 Moorfoot 20 16.64 
		
	
	
		
			 NPIA 6 6 
			 Park Place 9 6 
			 Peter Bennett House 11 10.01 
			 Robin Hood Airport 30 29.59 
			 Rougier House ** ** 
			 Sheffield Airport ** ** 
			 Snig Hall ** ** 
			 Springfield House 47 45.75 
			 The Hawkhills ** ** 
			 Unit 2 ** ** 
			 Unit J The Point ** ** 
			 Waterside Court 321 308.67 
			    
			 Not Known   
			 Not Known 120 118.46 
			 Organisational coverage: Figures include Home Office headquarters (including Border Force) and the Executive agencies; the UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and the National Fraud Authority. Employee coverage: Data is based on headcount and headcount FTE of all paid civil servants, who were current as at 31 January 2013. At any given time individual employees can be moving post within the Department; those employees who have not updated the HR system with their new location are reported as “Not Known” and are included here for completeness. Figures include both UK and non-UK Home Office paid civil servants, but exclude those employees held on FCO systems and any locally engaged staff employed overseas. Data protection: It is the general policy of the Home Office not to disclose, to a third party, personal information about another person. This is because the Home Office has obligations under the Data Protection Act and in law generally to protect this information. It has been concluded that some of the information requested is exempt under section 40(2) by virtue of the condition at section 40(3)(a)(i) of that Act, because disclosure would breach the data protection principles. Section 40(2) is an absolute exemption that does not require any consideration of the public interest test. Where an individual category is “less than 5” the information has been redacted to “**”. Where one area is subject to redaction, any totals are also redacted. Where more than one area is subject to redaction, totals are not redacted. This is in line with the Statistics Authority Code of Practice. Source: Data View—the Home Office’s single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate human resources data. Information for each building is provided by using unique postcodes in line with Office for National Statistics Business Register Surveys.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate her Department’s total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

James Brokenshire: The core statutory obligations of the Home Office are set out in the Appropriation Act for each year, which authorises the use of resources for each Department.
	The number of current full-time equivalent staff in the Home Department (including all Executive agencies) and its non-departmental public bodies on 31 December 2012 was 31,411.

Stop and Search

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many stop and searches were carried out for each category of offence in each police force in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012;
	(2)  how many stop and searches were drug-related in each police force in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012;
	(3)  how many stop and searches were carried out in each police force in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how many such searches led to (i) an arrest and (ii) a person being charged.

Damian Green: Data on the main stop and search powers used by police in England and Wales are published by the Home Office on an annual basis in the National Statistics series 'Police Powers and Procedures'. Latest published data cover the period up to the financial year 2010-11 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available via:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	Available data relate to the number of searches by reason for search and the number of resultant arrests under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 (found in tables SS.03 and SS.04), the total number of searches and resultant arrests under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (table SS.05) and searches and arrests under sections 44/47A of the Terrorism Act 2000 (table SS.07).
	Data on the number of searches made under PACE for the possession of drugs are provided in table SS.03, however searches for other reasons that are also drug related cannot be separately identified from data reported to the Home Office.
	Data on resultant charges from these searches are not held centrally. Finalised data for 2011-12 for these powers are scheduled to be published on 18 April 2013.
	Provisional data for 2011-12 on searches under sections 44/47A of the Terrorism Act 2000 are also published as a part of the Official Statistics series 'Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011-12'. Latest published data are for 2011-12 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1112/
	No searches under those powers have been reported for 2011-12.

Stop and Search

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of drug-related stop and searches led to drug seizure in each of the last three years; what proportion of such seizures led to a charge; and if she will publish a racial breakdown of each figure;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of weapon-related stop and searches led to a weapon seizure in each of the last three years; what proportion of such seizures led to a charge; and if she will give a racial breakdown of each figure.

Damian Green: Data on the main stop and search powers used by police in England and Wales are published by the Home Office on an annual basis in the National Statistics series 'Police Powers and Procedures'. Latest published data are for the years up to and including the financial year 2010-11 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	As the above-mentioned publication does not show a breakdown by both offence category and self-defined ethnicity, additional tables relating to 2009-10 and 2010-11 are being provided. Data for 2011-12 will be available after the next 'Police Powers and Procedures' release is published on 18 April 2013.
	The number of stops and searches under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) are presented in table. Data on resultant seizures of weapons or drugs are not collected centrally; however data on arrests made after searches under section 1 are collected, and are presented in table 2.
	It is possible that offensive weapons may be found during any type of search under section 1 PACE, therefore all types of search are provided in tables 1 and 2.
	Arrests following stops and searches, as presented in table 2, are not necessarily linked to the reason for search. For example, a search for drugs could uncover offensive weapons. It is not possible, therefore, to calculate the proportion of searches resulting in an arrest per reason category.
	Additionally, data on stops and searches in anticipation of violence made under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and the number of persons found with offensive weapons after such searches, are presented in table 3.
	Data on charges resulting from stops and searches are not collected by the Home Office.
	
		
			 Table 1—Stops and searches under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, by reason for search and self-defined ethnicity category, England and Wales 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			   Reason for search  
			  Self-defined ethnicity category Stolen property Drugs Firearms Offensive weapons Going equipped Criminal damage Other Total 
			 2009-10 White 150,943 358,439 5,385 60,394 115,303 18,286 76,941 785,691 
			  Black or Black British 27,683 85,624 2,493 34,124 14,104 1,239 4,306 169,573 
			  Asian or Asian British 13,262 70,237 862 12,770 8,759 811 4,491 111,192 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 3,110 7,044 142 1,512 1,441 134 885 14,268 
			  Mixed 6,120 17,719 316 4,691 4,253 460 1,555 35,114 
			  Not stated 10,602 25,120 579 6,879 5,640 567 3,787 53,174 
			  Vehicle only 2,059 4,395 173 394 495 46 753 8,315 
			  Total 213,779 568,578 9,950 120,764 149,995 21,543 92,718 1,177,327 
			           
			 2010-11 White 164,759 367,292 4,953 56,992 121,802 15,344 70,504 801,646 
			  Black or Black British 32,521 92,618 2,276 38,913 13,424 1,014 4,786 185,552 
			  Asian or Asian British 15,219 81,243 885 13,200 8,667 742 4,591 124,547 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 3,742 8,200 113 2,016 1,611 85 1,058 16,825 
			  Mixed 6,037 17,689 272 4,583 3,959 368 1,412 34,320 
			  Not stated 10,630 23,949 483 6,046 5,314 492 3,534 50,448 
			  Vehicle only 2,723 4,221 172 381 537 26 980 9,040 
			  Total 235,631 595,212 9,154 122,131 155,314 18,071 86,865 1,222,378 
			 Note: The reason for section 1 stops and searches cannot be accurately categorized on the recording systems for two forces—Dyfed-Powys and Devon and Cornwall—at the current time, resulting in them reporting higher proportions of searches in the ‘other' category than other forces. As a result, it is not possible to accurately compare data on searches for individual categories of search between 2009-10 and 2010-11. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2—Arrests resulting from stops and searches under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, by reason for arrest and self-defined ethnicity category, England and Wales 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			   Reason for arrest  
			  Self-defined ethnicity category Stolen property Drugs Firearms Offensive weapons Going equipped Criminal damage Other Total 
			 2009-10 White 18,664 26,807 555 7,549 6,440 1,832 14,220 76,067 
			  Black or Black British 3,500 6,164 259 2,423 918 117 1,048 14,429 
			  Asian or Asian British 1,482 3,592 76 944 354 84 944 7,476 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 497 466 16 149 126 14 233 1,501 
			  Mixed 828 1,263 48 401 254 47 352 3,193 
			  Not stated 1,250 1,453 55 648 327 49 754 4,536 
			  Vehicle only 102 183 11 32 33 7 62 430 
			  Total 26,323 39,928 1,020 12,146 8,452 2,150 17,613 107,632 
			           
			 2010-11 White 20,330 27,388 536 7,829 7,235 1,513 14,058 78,889 
			  Black or Black British 4,274 6,829 272 2,807 837 95 1,170 16,284 
			  Asian or Asian British 1,629 4,162 59 1,064 395 69 1,070 8,448 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 579 567 8 189 131 10 293 1,777 
			  Mixed 848 1,407 37 424 242 47 401 3,406 
			  Not stated 1,261 1,373 44 527 364 70 719 4,358 
			  Vehicle only 125 235 7 30 43 4 70 514 
			  Total 29,046 41,961 963 12,870 9,247 1,808 17,781 113,676 
			 Note: The reason for section 1 arrests cannot be accurately categorized on the recording systems for two forces—Dyfed-Powys and Devon and Cornwall—at the current time, resulting in them reporting higher proportions of searches in the 'other' category than other forces. As a result, it is not possible to accurately compare data on arrests resulting from individual categories of search between 2009-10 and 2010-11. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3—Stops and searches under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and the number of persons found with offensive weapons or dangerous instruments during these searches, by self-defined ethnicity category, England and Wales 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			  Self-defined ethnicity category Number of searches Number of persons found with offensive weapons and dangerous instruments 
			 2009-10 White 47,879 521 
			  Black or Black British 39,364 196 
			  Asian or Asian British 19,137 63 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 1,426 11 
			  Mixed 5,228 52 
			  Not stated 6,605 65 
			  Vehicle only 334 6 
			  Total 119,973 914 
			     
			 2010/11 White 19,086 217 
			  Black or Black British 22,785 151 
			  Asian or Asian British 12,294 54 
			  Chinese or Other Ethnic Group 1,012 9 
			  Mixed 2,676 36 
			  Not stated 3,025 36 
			  Vehicle only 85 2 
			  Total 60,963 505

Stop and Search

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of those arrested following stop and searches in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 were (i) male and (ii) female;
	(2)  what proportion of people stopped and searched in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 were (i) male and (ii) female;
	(3)  how many of those arrested following stop and search in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 were (i) white British, (ii) black Caribbean, (iii) black African, (iv) of Pakistani origin, (v) of Indian origin, (vi) of Bangladeshi origin and (vii) other.

Damian Green: Data on the main stop and search powers used by police in England and Wales are published by the Home Office on an annual basis in the National Statistics series ‘Police Powers and Procedures’. Latest published data cover the period up to the financial year 2010-11 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	Data on the sex of persons stopped and searched or arrested after a stop and search are not held centrally.
	An additional table, relating specifically to the number of persons arrested as a result of a stop and search, broken down by self-defined ethnicity, is provided here (the main bulletin did not break down figures by individual self-defined ethnicity, only ethnicity groupings, e.g. totals for White, Black, Asian etc). Finalised data on stops and searches by ethnicity for 2011-12 are scheduled to be published on 18 April 2013.
	
		
			 Number of persons(1) arrested after a stop and search(2), by self-defined ethnicity: England and Wales, 2010-11 
			 Ethnicity group Ethnicity category Number of arrests 
			 White White British 70,339 
			  White Irish 1,113 
			  Other White 7,963 
			  White Total 79,415 
			    
			 Black or Black British African 5,775 
			  Caribbean 6,920 
			  Other Black 4,138 
			  Black or Black British Total 16,833 
			    
			 Asian or Asian British Indian 1,909 
			  Pakistani 2,564 
			  Bangladeshi 1,675 
			  Other Asian 2,527 
			  Asian or Asian British Total 8,675 
			    
			 Chinese or Other Ethnic Group Chinese 480 
			  Other 1,339 
			  Chinese or other Total 1,819 
			    
			 Mixed Mixed African 418 
			  Mixed Asian 279 
			  Mixed Caribbean 1,739 
			  Other Mixed 1,039 
			  Mixed Total 3,475 
			    
			 Not stated Not Stated 4,420 
			    
			 Total  114,637 
			 (1) Excludes arrests following searches of unattended vehicles. (2) Includes arrests resulting from stops and searches under the following powers: section 1 of the Police and Criminal Justice Act 1984 and other related legislation section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 
		
	
	Provisional data for 2011-12 on searches under sections 44/47A of the Terrorism Act 2000, a subset of data presented in the table, are also published as a part of the Official Statistics series ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011/12’. Latest published data are for 2011-12 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1112/
	These provisional data show that no searches took place under section 44/47A during 2011-12.

Stop and Search

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intimate stop and searches were carried out by each police force in each year since 2010; and how many people stopped and searched were arrested in each such year.

Damian Green: Intimate searches involve a physical search of the body orifices and may only be carried out under section 55 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 if there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person who has been arrested and is detained may have concealed anything which could be used to cause physical injury; or, in the case of suspected couriers or dealers only, a class A drug as defined in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	Police force level intimate searches data for England and Wales, excluding British Transport Police, are collected by the Home Office and published on an annual basis in the National Statistics series ‘Police Powers and Procedures’.
	The latest edition contains intimate search data for 2010-11 in table IS.02, and is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	The number of stops and searches conducted in 2010-11 (including vehicle-only searches and those conducted by British Transport Police) and resultant arrests are shown in table SS.07 of the above mentioned statistical release. Excluding vehicle only searches, there were a total of 1,283,943 searches conducted in 2010-11, 114,637 of which resulted in arrest.
	The next ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ release is scheduled to be published on 18 April 2013 and will include data for 2011-12.

Theft: Large Goods Vehicles

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to (a) counter and (b) prevent theft of large goods vehicles and their loads.

Jeremy Browne: Tackling the theft of large goods vehicles and their loads is primarily a matter for police forces, and Police and Crime Commissioners will hold Chief Constables to account for their efforts to tackle local priorities.
	The National Crime Agency will also ensure that partners across the law enforcement community with a role in countering and preventing the theft of large goods vehicles and their loads benefit from its coordination, tasking and intelligence arrangements, as well as being able to access its specialist capabilities where appropriate.

Theft: Metals

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the economic impact of stolen copper telephone cables in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office has not made such an assessment. However, in September 2011, Deloitte published a study of the economic impact of metal theft to the UK which estimated the cost to the UK telecommunications sector at £120 million per annum, with a total, cost to the UK of £220 million-£260 million per annum.

Theft: Metals

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on whether, if the Scrap Metal Dealers' Bill supported by the Government were to be enacted, people selling scrap metal without a fixed abode would still be able to receive cash payments.

Jeremy Browne: The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill will make it illegal for any scrap metal dealer, site manager or person acting for the dealer to pay cash for scrap metal, whether the seller has a fixed abode or not. The current offence in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 will be extended to mobile collectors and motor salvage operators under the revised definition of a scrap metal dealer.

Tourists: Passenger Ships

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has taken steps to require the cruise industry to assist the UK Border Agency to fast-track low-risk passengers through immigration checks on day visits to UK ports.

Mark Harper: Border Force applies full checks on linear cruise ships where the voyage originates outside the common travel area. Border Force requires cruise ship operators to provide them with service and passenger information prior to the ship arriving in the UK. Border Force officers use this information to complete security checks and where appropriate clear passengers in advance of arrival.
	Border Force officers also travel to the ship's final foreign port of embarkation to clear passengers at the port or board the ship and clear the passengers en route to the UK. If outstanding security checks remain, officers will clear passengers at the ship's first UK port of arrival.

Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on training courses run by Common Purpose in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 22 November 2013
	Details of the Home Department's training course spend with Common Purpose, in each of the last five financial years, is set out in the following table.
	Information for the Criminal Records Bureau and the Identity and Passport Service for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Common purpose spend 
			 £ 
			 FY HO UKBA IPS CRB 
			 2012-13 19,200.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 2011-12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 2010-11 4,260.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 2009-10 0.00 0.00 (1)— (1)— 
			 2008-09 0.00 0.00 (1)— (1)— 
			 Total 23,460.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 (1 )Data not available

UK Border Agency

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people failed to attend the UK Border Agency office at Liverpool in 2012 for premium service appointments; and how many such appointments were booked by (a) solicitors and (b) applicants;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to stop solicitors block booking premium service appointments at UK Border Agency offices.

Mark Harper: The figures requested are not available through published statistics, however, locally provided information suggests that 3,109 people failed to attend a premium service appointment at Liverpool Public Inquiry Office in 2012. This accounts for 20.5% of available appointments at Liverpool in 2012.
	Data is not available to show how many appointments were booked by (a) solicitors and (b) applicants.
	The UK Border Agency is aware that a small number of solicitors are failing to comply with its terms and conditions and are attempting to block book appointments. Where it is identified that this activity is taking place the facility is withdrawn from those involved. We are in the process of changing the system to prevent this type of abuse.

UK Border Agency: Staff

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what increase there has been in the number of UK Border Agency staff working on (a) temporary and (b) permanent migration since 8 July 2012.

Mark Harper: As at 31 January 2013, since 8 July 2012 the increase in UK Border Agency staff assigned to work on the functions named has been (a) 261 and (b) 170.
	These figures are full-time equivalent actuals, excluding staff on unpaid maternity leave, career break, special leave, or loan to other Government Departments.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of her Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

James Brokenshire: At 31 January 2013, the Home Office had 138 paid civil servants based in the unitary authority of Kingston upon Hull and none based in the unitary authority of East Riding of Yorkshire.

Young Offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged (a) 10, (b) 11, (c) 12 and (d) 13 were (i) arrested, (ii) charged and (iii) found guilty of a criminal offence in each year between 1997 and 2011

Jeremy Browne: The arrests data collection for England and Wales began in 1999-2000, and data can only be broken down to the age groupings 'under 10 years', '10-17 years', '18-20 years', '21 years and over' and 'age unknown'. Latest available information therefore relates to arrests for notifiable offences of persons aged between 10 and 17 years for the financial years 1999-2000 to 2010-11, and are shown in Table A. Data for 2011-12 are scheduled to be published in the spring of 2013.
	The Ministry of Justice has advised that data on persons charged are not collected centrally.
	Information provided by the Ministry of Justice showing the number of defendants aged 10, 11, 12 and 13 years found guilty for criminal offences at all courts in England and Wales between the years 1997 and 2011 are shown in Table B.
	Since the arrests data are based on the year in which persons were arrested, and the convictions data are based on the year in which court proceedings were concluded, data in the two tables are not directly comparable.
	
		
			 Table A—Number of arrested(1) persons aged between 10 and 17 years: England and Wales, 1999-2000 to 2010-11 
			 Year of arrest(2) Number 
			 1999-2000 318,400 
			 2000-01 320,600 
			 2001-02 314,200 
			 2002-03 299,500 
			 2003-04 313,200 
			 2004-05 332,800 
			 2005-06 348,500 
			 2006-07 353,370 
			 2007-08 315,403 
			 2008-09 273,269 
			 2009-10 241,459 
			 2010-11 210,660 
			 (1) Arrested for notifiable offences. (2) Figures for 1999-2000 to 2005-06 contain estimates for some police forces and are rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B—Offenders found guilty of a criminal offence by age: England and Wales, 1997 to 2011(1) 
			 Number 
			  Age (years)(2) 
			 Year(3) 10 11 12 13 
			 1997 93 330 1,103 3,005 
			 1998 121 488 1,560 3,653 
		
	
	
		
			 1999 160 748 1,876 4,245 
			 2000 195 759 1,921 4,501 
			 2001 199 727 2,160 4,826 
			 2002 178 724 1,984 4,738 
			 2003 168 714 1,904 4,612 
			 2004 209 670 1,995 5,066 
			 2005 152 703 2,040 5,277 
			 2006 128 591 1,999 4,985 
			 2007 146 630 2,081 5,260 
			 2008(4) 84 580 1,763 4,660 
			 2009 61 381 1,465 3,830 
			 2010 42 261 1,132 3,326 
			 2011 34 209 825 2,529 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. Defendants found guilty of two or more offences are counted once. (2) The age of offenders when found guilty. (3) The year in which offenders were found guilty. (4) Excludes convictions data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

TRANSPORT

A458 and A483

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  with reference to the Welsh Government's National Transport Plan, intervention 98, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government regarding funding arrangements for the proposed bypass between Buttington Cross and Wollaston Cross;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government regarding funding arrangements for the proposed bypass between Pant and Llanymynech on the A483.

Stephen Hammond: Transport Ministers hold regular discussions with their Welsh Government counterparts. Recent discussions have not specifically considered the funding arrangements for these proposed future road improvements but we understand the importance of the proposals to the Welsh economy. Ministers are always willing to discuss cross-border transport issues with colleagues in the Welsh Government.

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and five of its Executive Agencies do not record the level of alcohol-related absenteeism as a percentage of overall recorded absences.
	The DVLA captures alcohol related absenteeism and they report that the level recorded in 2012/13 (to date) is 63.8 days which is 0.19% of the overall recorded absences.
	The central department and its agencies have an alcohol policy in their staff handbooks.
	DVLA, MCA, VOSA HA, and VCA have their own occupational health strategies or attendance management policies which incorporate occupational health.
	Extracts of related policies from the Staff Handbook have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Biofuels

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing ethanol imports under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation on the ethanol and biodiesel production sector.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport administers the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) and produces statistics on the supply of biofuel and biogas in the UK by country of origin and feedstock, and reports performance. Data is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/series/biofuels-statistics
	For data reported under the RTFO from December 2011 to April 2012, 69% of bioethanol reported was sourced from US corn. This reduced to 63% in the first half of 2012/13 (15 April 2012 to 14 October 2012). However, this latest data only covers biofuels for which Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) have been issued. Suppliers do not need to apply for RTFCs until the end of each year. The data may not therefore be fully representative of actual supply.
	The RTFO scheme is designed to reduce carbon emissions and promote the supply of sustainable biofuels. The RTFO operates as a market based instrument which gives suppliers the flexibility to meet their obligation at least cost. It is the Government's primary mechanism for implementing the transport elements of the EU renewable energy directive.
	The Department for Transport will carry out a post-regulatory impact assessment of the RTFO in 2013.

Bridges: River Thames

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Mayor of London and Transport for London regarding construction of a bridge over the Thames at Gallions Reach.

Stephen Hammond: Under devolution, any decision to construct a bridge at Gallions Reach would be for the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL), who would need to ensure funding was in place for such a scheme. DFT Ministers have had no recent discussions with the Mayor on this subject.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

Norman Baker: Information on the occupation costs of each property used by the Department is not centrally recorded and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
	However, Government departments and their arm's length bodies are required to measure the efficiency and environmental sustainability of their administrative office occupations over 500 square metres, through participation in an annual property benchmarking programme. The occupation costs of applicable property used by the Department for Transport are reported as part of this programme. The results for 2011-12 are due to be published shortly in the forthcoming State of the Estate Report 2012.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

Norman Baker: Information on the floor space per full-time equivalent of property used by the Department is not centrally recorded and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
	However, Government departments and their arm's length bodies are required to measure the efficiency and environmental sustainability of their administrative office occupations over 500 square metres, through participation in an annual property benchmarking programme. The floor space per full-time equivalent of property used by the Department for Transport is reported as part of this programme. The results for 2011-12 are due to be published shortly in the forthcoming State of the Estate Report 2012.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Norman Baker: As part of the Government’s Transparency Agenda, information about our properties is published on the data.gov.uk website. The information requested is available from the following link:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims

Crossrail Line: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 601W, on Crossrail line, whether the Welsh Government would receive a 100 per cent Barnett consequential for Crossrail 2.

Stephen Hammond: The Government has made no decision in relation to Crossrail 2. If and when a decision to fund is made, the Barnett formula will be applied in the usual way.

Cycling

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will consider issuing the summary of outcomes of the cycling demonstration towns and cycling cities and towns programmes as a written statement to the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group as part of its Get Britain Cycling inquiry;
	(2)  when he plans to publish the summary of the outcomes of the cycling demonstration towns and cycling cities and town programmes and other elements of the same research programme; and if he will consider doing so before bids for cycling funding are due from local authorities.

Norman Baker: Reports looking at the outcomes from the cycling demonstration towns (CDT) have been published. These two reports give a good summary:
	Analysis and synthesis of evidence on the effects of investment in six cycling demonstration towns:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120607215928/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/analysis-and-synthesis-of-evidence-on-the-effects-of-investment-in-six-cycling-demonstration-towns/cyclingdemotowns.pdf
	Making a Cycling Town:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094607/http://www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/making_a_cycling_town_qualitative_report1.pdf
	With regards to the report on monitoring levels of cycling in the cycling city and towns (CCT) and the CDTs, analysis is currently being undertaken and a report is now being drafted. Therefore, it is not possible to release data until the analysis is complete. The CCTs and CDTs have themselves produced end of programme reports which may be of interest to the APPCG. These can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-england-cycling-city-and-towns-end-of-programme-reports
	The CCT evaluation reports and dataset are currently unavailable. The contractor employed by the Department to work on this project, AECOM, have advised that the documents and data are removed from the website while they are being reviewed. These documents will be published again as soon as possible once the review is complete.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Norman Baker: Within the Department, on-site catering services are only available at the Department's main headquarters building in London, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sites in Swansea and the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) residential training facility in Bedfordshire.
	The requested information is not recorded at our London HQ and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The DVLA's in-house catering providers are unable to provide statistics prior to June 2012. Since June 2012 approx 126 kg of food waste was generated weekly (6,552 kg extrapolated over the year). This is an overall food waste figure which includes plate scrapings, peelings, spoilage and “outer leaves”.
	The Driving Standards Agency's catering contractor, Interserve (IFM), provide a restaurant service at the agency's training centre in Cardington.
	The requested information is as follows:
	2010
	Total covers: 22,060
	Total food recycled: 6,640 kg (average 0.30kg per cover).
	2011
	Total covers: 20,158
	Total food recycled: 6,592 kg (average 0.33kg per cover).
	2012
	Total covers: 20,024
	Total food recycled: 4,935 kg (average 0.25kg per cover).
	All food waste produced by the restaurant (consisting of peelings, scraps of raw ingredients, egg shells, leftovers and waste from plates etc.) is collected, weighed and recycled utilising an anaerobic digester. No food waste is thrown away.

Heathrow Airport

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the tax planning of Heathrow Holdings Ltd on the (a) service offered to passengers at London Heathrow and (b) ability of London Heathrow to respond to adverse weather conditions.

Simon Burns: The Department for Transport has made no such assessments.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that any long-term planning to link High Speed 2 to High Speed 1 and continental European services explores options that (a) provide the best value for money and (b) minimise disruption from construction works.

Simon Burns: A direct link between HS2 and HS1 would create the opportunity for services to destinations on the European high speed rail network. Departmental officials are continuing to work with HS2 Ltd to identify the best approach for providing the link. Securing value for money and minimising disruption from construction works are important considerations for the entire high speed rail project, including the proposed HS1/HS2 link.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many homes in (a) Stafford constituency and (b) England have been issued with a compulsory purchase order following the publication of phase two of the High Speed 2 line.

Simon Burns: None. Compulsory purchase for the purpose of constructing HS2 will take place only when and if Parliament grants powers following consideration of a relevant Hybrid Bill.

Motor Vehicles: Fuels

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists drive cars that are not compatible with E10 fuel.

Norman Baker: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders have estimated, based on the vehicle parc at the end of 2011, that 9% of vehicles on the road may be affected by the introduction of E10 fuel. Of these, 6% (1,994,704 vehicles) are confirmed not compatible and 3% are at present unknown.

Official Cars

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements there are for allocating particular models of car to Ministers through the Government Car Service.

Stephen Hammond: Since April 2012, cars are allocated to Departments for use by Ministers and senior officials and no longer to individuals. Departments may currently choose a diesel Jaguar, Land Rover Discovery, Toyota Avensis or a Toyota Prius Hybrid for their departmental pool car.

Post Offices

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2012, Official Report, column 276W, on post offices, what assessment he has made of (a) the extent and (b) the adequacy of the provision of (i) vehicle tax disc renewals and (ii) driving licences by post offices; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The contract recently awarded to Post Office Ltd outlines the network coverage requirements for both vehicle licensing and driving license transactions.
	For vehicle tax disc renewal the requirement is 95% or more of the population to live within three miles of an outlet in urban areas and 90% or more of the population within five miles of an outlet in rural areas. The vehicle tax disc renewal network that Post Office Ltd will provide as part of the contract will meet the above criteria. Within urban areas 99.9% of the population will live within three miles of an outlet and in rural areas 93.3% of the population will live within five miles of an outlet.
	For driving licences, where there are fewer transactions undertaken, the requirement is that a sufficient number of outlets should be provided, located throughout GB to address the needs of customers living in both urban and rural areas. For driver licensing 94.5% of the urban population will be within five miles of an outlet and 88.2% of the rural population will be within 10 miles of an outlet.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport appointed eight people to this Department's public bodies in 2010-11 and 13 in 2011-12.
	The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds. However, this information is not broken down by ethnic group. Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Railways: Standards

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that passenger refunds will (a) form part of the Government's ticketing review and (b) be reformed to deliver a system which is more readily understood by passengers.

Norman Baker: The Department is looking into a number of issues as part of its review of Fares and Ticketing. The terms of reference for the review were set out in the consultation paper published in March 2012, in which we made clear our view that buying a rail ticket should be a straightforward transaction, and that passengers should be able to choose confidently from a range of fares.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Stephen Hammond: The number of statutory instruments (Regulations and Orders) made between the 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 by the Department for Transport was 1,209. The instruments are available on the legislation.gov website alongside impact assessments where produced.
	Of the 1,209 instruments, 1,150 were temporary in application and restricted to specific geographical areas. Most of these related to temporary road works, the rest to temporary flying restrictions, for instance in connection with air displays and the Olympic Games.
	The remaining 59 are as follows:
	
		
			 Statutory Instrument IA? 
			 Traffic Management (Doncaster Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Rotherham Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (The Council of the Borough of Kirklees) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Leeds. City Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Sheffield City Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Road Vehicles (Individual Approval) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No 
			 Street Works (Charges for Occupation of the Highway) (Transport for London) Order 2012 No 
		
	
	
		
			 Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2012 No 
			 Humber Bridge Board (Membership) Order 2012 No 
			 Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No 
			 Community Drivers' Hours and Recording Equipment Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Driving Instruction (Compensation Scheme) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Poole Harbour Revision Order 2012 No 
			 Air Navigation (Amendment) Order2012 Yes 
			 Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) (Chemical Agents) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Nene Valley Railway (Fletton Branch) Order 2012 No 
			 M62 Motorway (Junctions 25 to 30) (Actively Managed Hard Shoulder and Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Hinkley Point Harbour Empowerment Order 2012 No 
			 Caernarfon Harbour Trust (Constitution) Harbour Revision Order 2012 No 
			 M25 Motorway (Junctions 7 to 16) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Street Works (Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Merchant Shipping (Compulsory insurance of Shipowners for Maritime Claims) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Network Rail (Ipswich Chord) Order 2012 No 
			 A282 Trunk Road (Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Charging Scheme) Order 2012 Yes 
			 Traffic Management (Hertfordshire County Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Luton Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Southend-On-Sea Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (Bedford Borough Council) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No 
			 The Port Security (Port of Aberdeen) Designation Order 2012 Yes 
			 The Port Security (Port of Workington) Designation Order 2012 Yes 
			 The Port Security (Port of Grangemouth) Designation Order 2012 Yes 
			 The Port Security (Port of Tees and Hartlepool) Designation Order 2012 Yes 
			 The Port Security (Port of Portland) Designation Order 2012 Yes 
			 The Network Rail (North Doncaster Chord) Order 2012 No 
			 Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ships on Domestic Voyages) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Sunderland City Council (Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor—New Wear Bridge) Scheme 2009 Confirmation Instrument 2012 No 
			 Sunderland City Council (Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor—Temporary Works New Wear Bridge) Scheme 2009 Confirmation Instrument 2012 No 
			 Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Chiltern Railways (Bicester to Oxford Improvements) Order 2012 No 
			 Energy Act 2004 (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No 
			 Bus Lane Contraventions (Approved Local Authorities) (England) (Amendment) and Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions Designation (No. 2) Order 2012 No 
			 A30 Trunk Road (Turks Head Link) (Trunking) Order 2012 No 
			 Rehabilitation Courses (Relevant Drink Offences) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Road Safety Act 2006 (Commencement No.9 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012 No 
			 Transport for Greater Manchester (Light Rapid Transit System) (Oldham, Manchester Street Modification) Order 2012 No 
			 River Tyne (Tunnels) (Revision of Tolls) Order 2012 No 
			 Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No 
			 Motor Fuel (Road Vehicle and Mobile Machinery) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Cowes Harbour Revision Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (London Borough of Sutton) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (London Borough of Merton) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Traffic Management (London Borough of Tower Hamlets) Permit Scheme Order 2012 No 
			 Severn Bridges Tolls Order 2012 No 
			 Port of Ipswich Harbour Revision Order 2012 No 
			 Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Passengers by Sea) Regulations 2012 Yes 
			 Driving Licences (Exchangeable Licences) (Amendment) Order 2013 No 
		
	
	Government policy does not require an impact assessment to be prepared for an instrument, unless there are also costs or savings to businesses or civil society organisations. Information about costs to the public purse where there is no impact assessment could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This is because of the level of analysis that would be required to answer the question.
	Links to the IA published in the IA library are included for the impact assessments produced over the period, which estimate the costs of each measure, including those to the public purse.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

Norman Baker: A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing a breakdown of headcount by office location.
	The Department for Transport and its six executive agencies do not hold the information broken down by the full time equivalent number of staff.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Norman Baker: All staff in the Department for Transport contribute towards the fulfilling the Department's statutory obligations. The proportion in each job specification is not recorded.

Taxis

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much local authorities in England have spent on Hackney carriage surveys in the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is committed to investing in its staff and ensuring people have the skills they need to perform their job effectively. The Central Department and five of its Executive Agencies spent £6,653,000 in 2010-11 and £3,433,400 in 2011-12.
	The figures for the Government Car Despatch Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency are not available.

JUSTICE

Conditions of Employment

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 198W, on conditions of employment, what the average weekly hours of employment are for those employees on zero-hour contracts.

Helen Grant: Individuals on zero-hour contracts only get paid for the hours worked. The number of hours worked can vary according to workloads. The number of hours worked are recorded on weekly timesheets with local managers reviewing and approving claims made before payment is made.
	The Ministry of Justice (Ministry of Justice HQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) does not centrally collate the timesheets. To identify the average weekly hours worked, weekly timesheets for all 140 staff members would have to be collated over a 12-month period before the average could be manually calculated. This would be resource intensive and incur a disproportionate cost.

Crime and Courts Bill (HL)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effects of section 32 of the draft Crime and Courts Bill on public perceptions of the impartiality and efficacy of the criminal justice system.

Damian Green: If enacted, clause 32 will improve public perception of the criminal justice system. Deferred Prosecution Agreements will help to create a more effective system for dealing with corporate economic crime, where wrongdoers are brought to justice more frequently without the uncertainty and expense of a criminal trial. As the final court-approved Agreement will be published, the public will know what wrongdoing is alleged to have occurred, the steps taken to address it and the sanctions applied to deal with it.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  who his Department's cycling champion is;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee;
	(3)  whether his Department has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice's Sustainable Development champion is Ann Beasley, Director General of Finance and Corporate Services. Her role covers all areas of sustainability, including encouraging greener travel.
	The Ministry of Justice has not signed up to the Cycle to Work Guarantee.
	While the nature of the Ministry of Justice estate means it is not possible for us to commit to all aspects of the Cycle to Work Guarantee Scheme, we have implemented many elements of the Guarantee, including providing bike storage and shower and changing facilities at many of our sites.
	The Ministry of Justice is signed up to the Cycle to Work Scheme and is fully supportive of encouraging staff to take greener journeys.

Election Court

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times an election court has been convened in the last 30 years; and what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) cost of running the election court system.

Helen Grant: The Government can confirm that, over the last 30 years, the Election Court has been convened 70 times to hear petitions in respect of local government elections and eight times to hear petitions in respect of parliamentary elections, bringing the total number to 78.
	While no assessment or review of the effectiveness and cost of running the Election Court system has been made, the Government is committed to providing an efficient and effective justice system, including the electoral system, where disputes and election petitions, can be resolved with proportionate costs, processes and procedures.

Fines: Surcharges

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what revenue has accrued to the public purse from the Victims' Surcharge since May 2010.

Helen Grant: From May 2010 to January 2013, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has collected Victim Surcharge receipts totalling £28.44 million.
	All Victim Surcharge revenue is used to fund support services for victims and witnesses of crime.

G4S

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of any extra expenditure that will be incurred by courts and tribunals as a result of reductions in the G4S total facilities management contract.

Helen Grant: The total facilities management contract that the Department has with G4S is delivered to an output based specification. The Department does not estimate that any extra expenditure will be incurred by courts and tribunals as a result of the delivery of the total facilities management contract by G4S in line with the output specification.

Hillsborough Stadium

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Lord Chief Justice on the appointment of a judge to preside over the Hillsborough inquests.

Helen Grant: I wrote to the Lord Chief Justice in December following a request from the coroners for South Yorkshire (East) and West Yorkshire (West) for a senior judge to be nominated for them to appoint to conduct the new Hillsborough inquests. The Lord Chief Justice nominated Lord Justice Goldring in January and the judge's subsequent appointment as Assistant Deputy Coroner in South Yorkshire (East) and West Yorkshire (West) was announced on 13 February.

Industrial Disputes: Shrewsbury

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will launch an urgent public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and conviction of 24 workers who took part in the Shrewsbury building workers' strikes of 1972.

Jeremy Wright: I understand that an application has been made to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review the conviction of the “Shrewsbury 24” and examine whether to refer the matter to the Court of Appeal. It would not be appropriate to consider whether a public inquiry was appropriate until the outcome of this process is known.

Juries: Age

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to publish a response to the consultation on removing the upper age limit for jurors in England and Wales undertaken under the previous administration in 2010.

Damian Green: The Government does not intend to publish a formal response to the consultation, but we will shortly issue a written ministerial statement.

Legal Aid Scheme

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2013, Official Report, column 632W, on legal aid scheme, how much and what proportion of the total legal aid budget was spent on each type of case in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Legal aid is a fundamental part of our legal system, but resources are not limitless. We must never lose sight of the fact that legal aid is paid for by the taxpayer. We are concerned about public confidence in the legal aid system and are urgently examining aspects of the system that affect its credibility with the public.
	The reforms taken in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment Offenders Act will help reduce legal aid spending and focus resources on those who most need it. Such as where domestic violence is involved, where people’s life or liberty is at stake, where they are at risk of serious physical harm or the loss of their home.
	The figures on legal aid expenditure split by case type are included in the annexed tables. Spending on the LSC’s management information systems is recorded differently, depending on the scheme. For civil representation, the figures provided are the value of all cases closed in each year. For legal help and crime lower cases, the figures are the value of the claims submitted by suppliers for work done in each year and for crime higher, the figures are the cash payments the LSC has paid each year. Due to the differing basis of spend for each scheme, a proportion of total legal aid spend by category of law cannot be provided.
	These figures are not directly comparable with those provided in response to previous questions 139185, 128910 and 128911.
	Annex
	
		
			 Controlled work (Legal Help) 
			  Total claimed (£000) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Family 49,966 61,248 63,710 58,758 51,767 
			 Welfare benefits 9,000 21,603 22,356 19,975 17,790 
			 Debt 7,065 21,400 23,998 21,461 17,908 
			 Housing 13,579 22,206 22,654 19,855 18,474 
			 Mental health 29,276 30,927 33,674 35,804 35,654 
			 Employment 1,975 3,680 4,784 4,235 3,896 
			 Community care 1,282 2,075 2,832 2,434 2,268 
		
	
	
		
			 Actions against the police etc. 1,149 1,250 1,585 1,632 1,569 
			 Clinical negligence 706 912 987 1,251 1,228 
			 Miscellaneous 566 326 461 318 167 
			 Consumer 523 577 571 330 151 
			 Public law 525 606 614 632 619 
			 Education 945 1,050 1,244 1,171 1,188 
			 Personal injury 566 480 459 423 245 
			 Immigration: asylum 35,970 47,003 55,322 51,024 39,390 
			 Immigration: nationality and visit visas 16,210 22,272 24,289 23,661 15,314 
			 Total of Controlled Work (Legal Help) 169,304 237,615 259,540 242,964 207,628 
		
	
	
		
			 Licensed work (Civil representation) 
			  Total cost (£000) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Special Children Act 235,448 233,479 262,594 276,099 334,008 
			 Other public law Children 35,421 36,324 37,892 36,074 35,265 
			 Children Act 188,140 193,391 164,947 177,731 194,451 
			 Financial provision 50,258 42,747 44,336 38,630 35,334 
			 Domestic violence 16,821 16,010 51,133 47,502 50,051 
			 Combined family 0 0 25 31 35 
			 Other family matters only 2,966 1,557 1,521 910 967 
			 Help with Mediation only 1,696 1,202 329 99 54 
			 Housing 25,923 28,374 27,158 25,259 25,470 
			 Clinical negligence 20,278 17,399 16,393 14,075 16,519 
			 Immigration and nationality 3,616 5,073 4,359 5,211 4,964 
			 Consumer/general contract 5,818 5,676 2,986 3,388 2,190 
			 Public law 6,262 5,162 6,201 4,700 5,965 
			 Personal injury 5,192 3,063 4,332 20,675 2,528 
			 Actions against the police 2,946 2,522 2,267 2,465 1,896 
			 Community care 2,023 2,216 2,440 3,063 2,833 
			 Debt 1,819 1,614 1,609 1,031 1,037 
			 Education 2,152 1,461 1,446 878 716 
			 Mental health 1,028 956 1,334 2,757 5,093 
			 Employment 533 393 366 487 221 
			 Welfare benefits 112 127 245 126 46 
			 Miscellaneous 11,191 40,625 6,124 5,570 3,455 
			 Total of Licensed work (Civil) 619,643 639,371 640,037 666,761 723,098 
		
	
	
		
			 Crime Lower: services provided to suspects not yet charged 
			  Total claimed/paid (£000) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Total amount claimed 180,629 192,460 187,275 180,007 169,960 
		
	
	
		
			 Crime Lower: services provided to suspects charged 
			  Total claimed (£000) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Total amount claimed 292,464 293,983 288,907 260,212 240,930 
		
	
	
		
			 Crime Higher: Legal aid schemes 
			  Value (£000) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Total 692,258 699,444 733,610 702,848 699,425

Powers of Attorney

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the application process for a lasting power of attorney;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to expedite the time taken between applying for and receiving a lasting power of attorney.

Helen Grant: I meet regularly with the Public Guardian to discuss current operational performance and to receive updates on the progress of the work to transform the application process for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs).
	Over the last financial year, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has implemented a programme of ‘continuous improvement’, which has seen the average time taken to register a Lasting Power of Attorney reduce from 62 working days in April 2012, to 44 working days as of January 2013. Six weeks of this time (30 working days) is a statutory waiting period during which objections to registration can be made. Current processing times are the shortest they have been since the OPG's launch in October 2007.
	As part of the Ministry of Justice's Transforming Justice agenda, the Office of the Public Guardian is also more fundamentally transforming the process to make and register a Lasting Power of Attorney.
	As outlined in the Government consultation ‘Transforming the Services of the Office of the Public Guardian’, published on 27 July 2012, and the response published on 22 January 2013, the OPG intends to make the process for making an LPA ‘digital by default’. In April 2013, the OPG will launch a new digital tool which will make it easier for customers to complete the current LPA forms online. This will help to eradicate many of the errors that currently occur during the completion of the LPA form and will reduce inefficiencies in the current processes.
	Also in April, we intend to reduce the current statutory waiting period from six to four weeks in order to make the process quicker for customers, while still retaining adequate safeguards.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which countries the UK has a prisoner transfer agreement.

Jeremy Wright: The UK has prisoner transfer agreements (PTAs) with over 100 countries and territories.
	A complete list of all bilateral PTAs can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/treaties/treaty-texts/prisoner-transfer-agreements
	as well as links to lists of all countries and territories which are signatories of the following multi-lateral agreements which the UK is also party to: the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Persons within the Commonwealth.
	The UK has implemented the multi-lateral European Union Prisoner Transfer Agreement (EU PTA) along with a further 11 EU member states.

Prisons: Food

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he made of whether his Department will be open to compensation claims from those prisoners possibly affected by contaminated halal meat in prison food.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has received a small number of civil litigation claims following the discovery of contaminated halal food. Each claim will be considered on its merits and robustly defended where appropriate.

Private Prosecutions

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many private prosecutions were brought in courts in England and Wales in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Helen Grant: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information which prosecutions brought before the courts were private prosecutions.

Prosecutions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he intends to take to ensure that the use of deferred prosecution agreements avoids any public perception that wealthy corporations allegedly in breach of the law can evade criminal prosecution using methods not available to smaller corporations or private individuals.

Damian Green: Transparency and openness are key to the operation of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement process for the public and for organisations alike, and will be underpinned by published guidance. A DPA will be subject to judicial scrutiny to ensure that it is in the interests of justice and that its terms are fair, reasonable and proportionate. It will be approved in open court and the final Agreement will be published. The public will know what wrongdoing is alleged to have occurred, the steps taken to address it and the sanctions for it.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: The number of appointments and re-appointments for the Ministry of Justice's public bodies regulated by the commissioner for public appointments are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Appointments Re-appointments 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 206 111 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 119 57 
		
	
	Information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, but not by religion and not broken down by ethnic group, is collated and published by the commissioner.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Public Order Act 1986

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 for behaviour that was found to be insulting in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information whether or not a conviction under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, for causing harassment, alarm or distress through behaviour which is threatening, abusive or insulting, was obtained specifically as a result of insulting behaviour.

Reoffenders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners reoffend within one year of release;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the correlation between a prisoner’s gender and the probability of their reoffending.

Jeremy Wright: The proportion of adult offenders released from custody in the 12 months ending March 2011 who re-offended within a year (the one year proven re-offending rate) is 47.2%. The equivalent figure for juvenile offenders is 72.6%.
	The one year proven re-offending rate for adult male offenders released from custody in the 12 months ending March 2011 is 47.5%; and for females, 44.6%.
	The one year proven re-offending rate for juvenile male offenders released from custody in the 12 months ending March 2011 is 74.2%; and for females, 56.2%.
	Some of the factors we know to be associated with levels of re-offending are (a) number of previous offences, where a large number of previous offences is associated with high re-offending rates and (b) an offender's age, where the re-offending rate falls with increasing age. Therefore, in order to directly compare the re-offending rates of different groups of offenders (by gender, or any other characteristic), we would need to control for the offender mix by taking into account such factors.
	Please note that proven re-offending statistics are available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending

Reoffenders

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate was in (a) England, (b) Hull and (c) Kingston upon Hull North constituency in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The following table presents the number of offenders in Kingston upon Hull and England who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, received a caution, reprimand, warning or tested positive for opiates or cocaine in each of the years, 2006 to 2010 (the latest calendar year available); and the proportion that committed a proven re-offence within a one year follow-up period.
	
		
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of      
			 Proportion of offenders who re-offend (%) 31.4 31.3 31.3 32.2 33.8 
			 Number of offenders in cohort(1) 5,222 5,421 5,274 4,888 4,861 
			 England      
			 Proportion of offenders who re-offend (%) 26.9 26.7 27.1 26.4 26.8 
			 Number of offenders in cohort(1) 695,372 717,094 685,260 650,475 604,541 
			 (1) This number does not represent all proven offenders. Offenders who were released from custody or commenced a court order are matched to the Police National Computer database. A certain proportion of these offenders cannot be matched and are, therefore, excluded from the offender cohort, ie the group of offenders for whom re-offending is measured. 
		
	
	In response to a Ministry of Justice consultation on improvements to re-offending statistics, proven re-offending data is only produced at the regional, probation area and local authority level and not at constituency level.
	Proven re-offending is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six month waiting period is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.

Small Claims

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims made at the small claims court were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures centrally which specifically relate to the success of claims at the small claims court. This is because we are currently assessing whether the information held on the administrative computer systems on this subject can be extracted to a high standard of quality.

Small Claims

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the working of the Small Claims Court.

Helen Grant: No recent representations have been received on the workings of the Small Claims Court.
	The small claims track financial threshold is due to increase from £5,000 to £10,000 on 1 April 2013, as announced by the then Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), in March 2012, following the publication of the Solving Disputes in the County Court consultation response. The MOJ received a number of representations on this issue during the course of the consultation process and further representations have subsequently been received over the last 11 months on this issue. Representations have also been received from the Civil Court Users Association on the specific issue of the increase in the small claims financial threshold.
	In addition, representations have been received from a number of individuals and organisations in relation to the “Reducing the number and costs of whiplash claims—A consultation on arrangements concerning whiplash injuries in England and Wales.” The consultation opened on 11 December 2012 and is due to close 8 March 2013, after which the Government's response will be published.

Solicitors: Complaints

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) received against solicitors in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what action was taken by the SRA in response to such complaints.

Helen Grant: The SRA has informed me that it does not hold specific data on the number of complaints held against solicitors as it receives information about solicitors from a range of sources. This includes complaints, media reports, monitoring firms and other external intelligence. However, the SRA has provided details of the investigations it has held in 2012.
	In 2012, the SRA investigated and closed a total of 6,000 cases, with 4,395 of those cases requiring no regulatory action. Of those where the investigation was upheld, the following sanctions were applied:
	In 489 cases the allegation was upheld with
	315 cases being issued a letter of advice
	38 cases being dealt with by a Finding and warning
	37 cases being dealt with by rebuke/reprimands
	3 cases being dealt with by way of a fine
	119 cases are being further dealt with by Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) referral
	32 cases have other ongoing action
	In some cases, more than one sanction was applied meaning the total number of sanctions do not necessarily add up to the number of cases investigated.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Helen Grant: The core responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice are set out in the Appropriation Act for each year which authorises the use of resources for each department. The core functions listed include the administration of the National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Court and Tribunal Service and civil and criminal legal aid, together with functions in relation to justice policy, victims and the criminal justice system.
	As at 31 December 2012, the Ministry of Justice (comprising Ministry of Justice Headquarters, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) required a staffing level of 63,658 full-time equivalent staff to deliver these core responsibilities. This is around 9,800 fewer full-time equivalent staff than at September 2010.
	The Ministry of Justice reviews staffing levels to ensure that the Department can meet its core responsibilities as efficiently as possible.

Stop and Search

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many stop and searches in each police force led to a conviction in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information convictions resulting from stop and search.

Styal Prison

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners at HMP Styal are from Wales.

Jeremy Wright: On 31 December 2012 there were 26 female prisoners at HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Styal recorded as originating from Wales. Information on offenders' residences is provided by offenders on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or next of kin address and these figures are included in the answer.
	If no address is given, an offender's committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. These figures are also included in the answer. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders, these figures are excluded from the answer. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible error with data entry and processing.

Trafford Housing Trust

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has held on the effect of the recent legal case between Mr Adrian Smith and Trafford Housing Trust on his Department's policies on freedom of speech for staff.

Chris Grayling: I apologise for the delay in responding. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the House returns.
	Substantive answer from Jeremy Wright to Mr David Burrowes:
	I have not held any discussions on the effect of this case, which was about the contractual relationship between an employee and his employer.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice is committed to providing training and education for all civil servants in line with the commitment set out in the Civil Service Reform plan
	“to provide at least 5 days a year targeted at the skills most needed for their roles”.
	Civil servants in the Ministry of Justice have access to a range of learning opportunities through the Ministry's business specific Justice Academy learning portal; locally delivered business learning; and the full range of Civil Service Learning products.
	Generic training and learning is provided by Civil Service Learning, and external spend on learning and education is subject to the governance arrangements put in place by Cabinet Office.
	Budgets for training and education are devolved and are managed locally by the Ministry's different business groups and agencies. The Ministry does not record this information centrally. Therefore to establish the cost for all training and education for all civil servants in any given year would require a Ministry-wide survey of all its local business areas. This would incur a disproportionate cost.

Victim Support Schemes

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to revise the existing Code of Practice for Victims of Crime; what consultation process will be undertaken to revise the Code; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: My Department will consult on a revised Victims' Code in spring this year. The draft Code is intended to give victims clearer entitlements from criminal justice agencies and to better tailor services to individual need.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals were made to a First Tier Tribunal hearing against failed work capability assessments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA), decisions in which the work capability assessment (WCA) is a factor, rather than appeals against WCA decisions themselves.
	Information on the number of points an individual has received in the WCA is only held within individual case files, not in the tribunal's database. Information on the number of appeals made as a result of specific WCA outcomes could, therefore, be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually checking individual files.
	The following table therefore shows the total number of ESA appeals, in which the WCA was a factor, received by the tribunal in (a) 2010/11, (b) 2011/12 and (c) April to September 2012 (the latest period for which information is available).
	
		
			 Employment and support allowance appeals received in which WCA was a factor 
			  Number 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 184,800 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 165,300 
			 April to September 2012 117,000 
			 Note: 1. Data is taken from management information. 2. Values are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals were made to an upper tribunal hearing against failed work capability assessments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA), decisions in which the work capability assessment (WCA) is a factor, rather than appeals against WCA decisions themselves.
	Appeals against decisions of the First-tier Tribunal—SSCS are heard by the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal, subject to permission to appeal being granted by either the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal.
	The Administrative Appeals Chamber does not record whether appeals are related to the WCA or another aspect of the decision on an individual's entitlement to ESA. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually checking individual files.
	The following table therefore shows the total number of ESA appeals received by the Upper Tribunal in (a) 2010/11, (b) 2011/12 and (c) April to September 2012 (the latest period for which information is available).
	
		
			 Employment and support allowance appeals received by the Upper Tribunal, April 2010 to September 2012 
			  Number 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 211 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 312 
			 April to September 2012 226

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on appeals against work capability assessments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA), decisions in which the work capability assessment (WCA) is a factor, rather than appeals against WCA decisions themselves.
	The estimated total cost of ESA appeals in which the work capability assessment was a factor during (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) April to September 2012 (the latest period for which published data is available) is summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of ESAappeals disposed of in which WCA was a factor(1) Total cost(2) (£ million) 
			 2010-11 166,500 39.8 
			 2011-12 189,500 43.2 
			 April to September 2012 103,000 23.5 
			 (1) Values of appeal numbers of 1,000 or over are rounded to the nearest hundred. (2) Costs are rounded to the nearest £100,000. Notes: Data is taken from management information 
		
	
	These estimated costs were calculated by multiplying the average cost of an individual First-tier Tribunal - Social Security and Child Support case in 2010-11 and, 2011-12 (the latest period for which this data is available) by the number of ESA appeals disposed of in which the work capability assessment was a factor in each of these time periods.
	The cost for 2011-12 differs from that in previous questions relating to the cost of ESA appeals because the final audited figures for 2011-12 were not available at the time of the previous questions. Instead, the latest available data (for 2010-11) was used to calculate the cost figure quoted in the previous questions.

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many male offenders are in the secure youth estate in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many female offenders are in the secure youth estate in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: At the end of December 2012, there were 1,462 male offenders in the secure youth estate.
	At the end of December 2012, there were 61 female offenders in the secure youth estate.
	The data for December 2012 are provisional and will be finalised when the 2012-13 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published which is planned for January 2014.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young people under the age of 16 there are in the secure estate, by age; and how many of each age have a mental health problem or learning disability.

Jeremy Wright: The following table displays the number of young people under the age of 16 held in the secure estate by age at the end of December 2012.
	
		
			 Age Number of offenders (December 2012) 
			 10 0 
			 11 0 
			 12 2 
			 13 17 
			 14 44 
			 15 172 
		
	
	The data for December 2012 are provisional and will be finalised when the 2012-13 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in January 2014. The figures are from the YJB e-asset database, they have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.
	While young people receive educational and health assessments on entry to custody, information on the number of young offenders diagnosed with mental health problems or learning disabilities is not collected centrally.
	The Ministry of Justice Green Paper published on 14 February 2013: “Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention (Cm8564)” discusses, among other issues, the educational, emotional and health needs of young people in custody. Wider research, included in the Green Paper, shows that in general young people entering custody have higher levels of mental health problems and learning disabilities when compared with the general population.

Young Offenders: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice of people aged under 18 years old who were arrested in the Metropolitan police area in each year from 1997 to 2012, how many had previously been found guilty of (a) no offences, (b) one to five offences, (c) 10 offences, (d) 11 to 20 offences and (e) more than 20 offences.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice extract of the police national computer (PNC) holds data regarding all individuals given a caution by any of the 43 national police forces or convicted in a court. It also includes some information where a defendant has been brought to court and been found not guilty. It does not contain information regarding arrests of individuals so it is therefore not possible to provide the previous convictions for an individual who has been arrested.

Young Offenders: Special Educational Needs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young offenders have entered the secure youth estate having previously been subject to a school action plan plus since May 2010;
	(2)  how many young offenders have entered the secure youth estate having previously been subject to a school action plan since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Young people receive an educational assessment on entry to custody; however information on the number of young offenders who have previously been subject to a school action plan or a school action plan plus is not collected centrally.
	Among other issues, provision for those in custody with special educational needs was the subject of a Ministry of Justice Green Paper published on 14 February 2013: “Transforming Youth Custody; Putting education at the heart of detention (cm 8564)”. The Green Paper invites views on how best to meet the needs of young people in custody with special educational needs.

Young Offenders: Special Educational Needs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young offenders have entered the secure youth estate having previously been diagnosed with having learning difficulties since May 2010;
	(2)  how many young offenders have entered the secure youth estate having previously been diagnosed with dyslexia since May 2010;
	(3)  how many young offenders have been identified as having special educational needs (a) on arrival and (b) at a later stage whilst in the secure youth estate since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: While young people are assessed for literacy, language and numeracy on entry to custody, and, where appropriate, during their detention, information on the number identified with learning difficulties, diagnosed dyslexia and special educational needs is not collected centrally.
	Among other issues, provision for those in custody with special educational needs was the subject of a Ministry of Justice Green Paper published on 14 February 2013: “Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention (cm 8564)”. Wider research, included in the Green Paper, shows that in general young people entering custody have higher levels of learning difficulties, diagnosed dyslexia and special educational needs when compared with the general population.

Young Offenders: Special Educational Needs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young offenders have entered the secure youth estate having previously been subject to an educational health and care plan since May 2010;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place for young offenders who have previously had an education health and care plan when they enter the criminal justice system.

Jeremy Wright: Proposals for Education, Health and Care Plans are one of the measures included in the Children and Families Bill They are being trialled in a number of pathfinders across the country and information is not collected centrally on whether any young person previously subject to an Educational Health and Care Plan has entered the youth secure estate. Existing arrangements for those who have previously had a statement of special educational needs would continue to apply to anyone entering the criminal justice system.
	Among other issues, provision for those in custody with special educational needs and health issues were the subject of a Ministry of Justice Green Paper published on 14 February 2013: “Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention (cm 8564)”. The Green Paper invites views on how best to meet the needs of young people in custody with special educational and health needs.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Elections: Petitions

Angie Bray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many election petitions have been filed in the last 30 years; and what the reasons for the filing of each was.

Helen Grant: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	In the last 30 years, a total of 135 election petitions were filed in the Election Court. This figure consists of 118 Local Government Petitions and 17 Parliamentary petitions.
	It has not been possible to obtain the reasons for each of the 135 petitions filed over the whole of the period in question. The court files for the years prior to 2005 are no longer available and the Election Court ledgers for Parliamentary and Local Government election petitions which might hold the information are not held in a collated format. However, I can confirm that available records from 2005 to 2013 indicate that election petitions are filed for various reasons ranging from Local Government election petitions alleging discrepancies with postal votes and corrupt illegal practice; to Parliamentary election petition for non-compliance with the provisions of the European Conventions on Human Rights and misreporting of a candidate’s allegiance and funding.
	Of the various reasons, petitions challenging the way votes are counted in an election seem to be more prevalent, having occurred approximately eight times over the last eight years. This reason is closely followed by petitions disputing postal votes in which accusations of tampering and impersonation were made. The latter petitions have declined in recent years following the implementation of new postal voting security measures in 2007. More recently provisions have been brought forward in the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 to allow a Returning Officer’s fee to be reduced or withheld in the event of poor performance, which could be applied to poor management of a count where the wrong candidate is returned.
	I am placing a copy of a spreadsheet detailing the grounds for election petitions since 2005, in the House Library.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents.

Sajid Javid: There is no current estimate of alcohol-related absenteeism in HM Treasury. Sick absence is regularly monitored and reviewed and interventions take place where appropriate.
	HM Treasury takes the well-being of its staff very seriously. The Department has a formal occupational health service which is available to all employees. This is in place to deliver medical advice and information as required which helps to prevent sickness absence or aid the return of those who may be off work due to medical conditions.
	In addition, a confidential welfare, counselling and advisory service is also available to all staff. Employees can access professional counselling support and advice through this service. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support staff if they have any personal problems including those arising from alcohol misuse.
	Although there is no current internal alcohol policy, other policies and procedures set out the expected standards of behaviour for staff working for HM Treasury.

Broadband

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the additional revenue generated by the application of annual licence fees for 700 MHz spectrum from the end of 2014.

Danny Alexander: The responsibility for determining the annual licence fee rates for commercial users of 700MHz spectrum is the responsibility of the independent office of communications, Ofcom, as part of its spectrum management duties under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. HM Treasury has therefore not made a formal estimate of any future spectrum licence fees for 700MHz spectrum.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department;
	(2)  what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property;
	(3)  what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

Sajid Javid: Please refer for answers to the State of the Estate Report 2011, as published on:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/networks/pam/property-asset-management-in-government/state-of-the-estate-reports

Child Benefit: Migrant Workers

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to end child benefit payments to non-resident children of migrant workers; and if he intends to copy other European Economic Area countries and impose a residency condition on such payments.

Sajid Javid: The UK and other EEA member states do operate a residence requirement for the award of child benefit under domestic legislation. However, as things stand, the EU Regulation 883/2004 places an additional requirement on EEA Member Governments to pay family benefits to nationals of EEA countries who are working and paying compulsory National Insurance contributions in their country in respect of members of the family who are residing in another EEA member state.

Coastal Communities Fund

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the level of funding available through the Coastal Communities Fund for future years.

Danny Alexander: Funding for the Coastal Communities Fund is equal to 50% of the revenues generated by the Crown Estate's marine assets. The funding for 2013-14 will be £27.8 million, an increase of £4.1 million from 2011-12.
	Funding for future years will be determined in line with this formula and will be reviewed as part of the spending round. We will also review the size of the fund should revenue rise or fall significantly in any given year.

Corporation Tax: Duchy of Cornwall

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 517W, on corporation tax: Duchy of Cornwall, whether he plans to consider whether or not the Duchy of Cornwall should be treated as a corporation for tax purposes and thereby liable to pay corporation tax.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 517W.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  who his Department's cycling champion is;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee;
	(3)  whether his Department has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme.

Sajid Javid: HM Treasury first offered members of staff the opportunity to sign up to a Cycle to Work scheme in 2008. The Department currently offers staff the chance to purchase a bicycle through a scheme twice a year in May and November. Each window is open for a four week period. HM Treasury encourages all its employees to choose environmentally friendly forms of transport to and from work in both its London and Norwich offices, and provides free secure storage and changing facilities for those who choose to do so.
	HM Treasury does not currently have a cycling champion.

Debts Written Off: Burma

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure that British debt relief to Burma is spent on poverty reduction rather than the military.

Sajid Javid: An international agreement was reached at the Paris Club on 25 January to clear Burma's arrears towards its Paris Club creditors. As part of this agreement cancelation of arrears due to the UK is subject to Burma's satisfactory performance under an IMF Staff Monitored Program. No additional funds have been created which could be diverted towards military use.

Excise Duties: Tobacco

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect the incidence of downtrading in the tobacco market has on revenue to the Exchequer.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not made any assessment of the effect on tobacco duty of downtrading separately from other relevant factors such as the structural changes to cigarette duty (‘rebalancing’) and the wider economic position.
	HMRC publishes data on excise duty collected on tobacco products in the HMRC national statistics bulletin. This shows that tobacco duties have continued to contribute to fiscal consolidation, raising an extra £400 million in 2011-12, despite the continuing consumption trend towards cheaper cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco (down-trading).

Excise Duties: Tobacco

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 446W, on excise duties: tobacco, when he expects to sign the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on tobacco control illicit trade protocol.

Sajid Javid: The Government is fully committed to the objectives of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control illicit trade protocol. The Government is working closely with the European Commission to establish the best way to implement this protocol across the EU, and is awaiting a decision from the Commission on the correct legal base before proceeding further.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Sajid Javid: No surplus food has been thrown away by this Department in 2010, 2011 or 2012.

Inheritance Tax: Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of estates in Scotland which were subject to inheritance tax in 2011-12; and which will be so subject in each year to 2018-19.

David Gauke: The number of estates paying Inheritance Tax in Scotland on death in 2009-10 is published in Table 12.10, available from the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/inheritance/table12-10.pdf
	Data for 2010-11, 2011-12 and later years will be published to the publication schedule which is available from the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/updates/annual-plan.pdf
	Forecasts of the number of estates in Scotland paying IHT are not available.

Minimum Wage

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) he and (b) HM Revenue and Customs has had with the (i) Attorney-General and (ii) the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about the CPS's policies on prosecuting employers who fail to pay the national minimum wage.

David Gauke: HMRC officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Minimum Wage: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers in (a) Pendle and (b) Lancashire have received a warning for non-payment of the minimum wage in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HMRC does not keep these statistics by reference to town or county.

Minimum Wage: Scotland

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notices of underpayment of the national minimum wage have been served to employers in (a) Scotland and (b) East Lothian constituency in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

David Gauke: HMRC does not keep statistics by reference to constituency. The number of Notice of Underpayments (NoU) issued to employers by the HMRC minimum wage compliance teams in Scotland for the years requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Number of NoUs issued 
			 2009-10 78 
			 2010-11 95 
			 2011-12 72

Minimum Wage: Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers in (a) Hull, (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency and (c) East Yorkshire have received a warning for non-payment of the minimum wage in the last fiscal year.

David Gauke: HMRC does not keep statistics by reference to town, county or constituency.

Money Advice Service

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what redundancy payments have been made to staff as a result of the Money Advice Service review; and if he will publish the documentation in relation to the calculation of such payments;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the recent reduction in staffing at the Money Advice Service; how the staffing requirement of the service was estimated when it was established; and if he will publish all documents relating to its strategic review.

Sajid Javid: The Money Advice Service is an independent body and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for approving its business plan and budget.
	I have asked the Money Advice Service to respond to the questions that you have raised in writing. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

NHS: Redundancy Pay

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many special severance payments were reported to his Department by (a) NHS foundation trusts and (b) NHS acute trusts in the last year for which figures are available.

Danny Alexander: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what 
	(1)  estimate he has made of the number of people with pensions who have taken an annuity provision from their pension between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012;
	(2)  how many people with pensions availed of an annuity provision from their pension between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012.

Sajid Javid: According to statistics collected by the Association of British Insurers, 2,062,152 annuities were sold between 1 January 2008 and the end of Q3 2012, the last date for which data is currently available. Some individuals may have taken out more than one annuity and it is therefore not possible to conclude how many people chose to annuitise in this period.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: During the 2010-11 financial year the Chancellor of the Exchequer made three new appointments and one reappointment regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). During 2011-12 three appointments and eight reappointments were made.
	The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group. The Commissioner does not collect information regarding candidates' religion.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Barnett consequentials will be awarded to Wales as a result of funding allocated to projects in England under the local investment element of the Green Deal.

Danny Alexander: The Green Deal in Wales is being administered by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, with businesses and home owners in Wales benefiting directly from the scheme. As a result, no Barnett consequentials have been allocated to the Welsh Government.

Radio Frequencies

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of interest that will accrue to the Exchequer from holding deposits for the 4G spectrum auction; how he intends to spend any such interest; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: No estimate has been made of the likely level of interest accrued from 4G spectrum auction holding deposits. The independent communications regulator, Ofcom, has set the initial deposit at £100,000 per bidder. Ofcom has determined that further deposits may be required at subsequent auction stages. Therefore, the value of these deposits is dependent on the level of bidding.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what the anticipated cost is of each.

Sajid Javid: The Treasury made 21 new regulations between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. These are shown in the following table, along with estimates of cost where these have been made.
	
		
			 Regulation made Net average annual costs to business, the voluntary sector and the public sector 
			 The Prospectus Regulations -£60,000. A net saving. 
			 The Terrorism Act 2000 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) Order 2012 £120,000 
		
	
	
		
			 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2012 This regulation implements the same policy as the regulation listed immediately above. Its cost is counted as part of £120,000 figure cited above. 
			 The Payment Services Regulations 2012 £170,000 
			 The Financial Services and Market Act 2000 (Gibraltar) (Amendment) Order 2012 No costs were anticipated from this regulation. 
			 The Undertakings For Collective Investment In Transferable Securities (Amendment) Regulations 2012 No costs were anticipated as the regulation corrected minor errors in an earlier transposition of a Directive. 
			 The Money Laundering (Amendment) Regulation 2012 -£3,130,000. A net saving. 
			 The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 The cost of these regulations is negligible because these Regulations do not themselves impose requirements but reflect amendments to derogations made by the amending Council Regulation. 
			 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Short Selling) Regulations 2012 Quantification of the costs of this regulation wasn't possible. There will be some cost on businesses. However these are anticipated to be incremental, since the UK already as a short selling regime in place, which these EU derived regulations replace. 
			 Community Emissions Trading Scheme (Allocation of Allowances for Payment) Regulations 2012 No cost is foreseen from this regulation 
			 The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2012 The impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies is expected to be minimal, since the direction is in the same terms as that contained in the Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2011, and will not require any change in existing compliance procedures. 
			 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2012 The cost of these regulations is negligible, because these Regulations do not themselves impose requirements, but only put in place penalties in relation to activities which are prohibited by the directly effective Council Regulation. 
			 The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2012 There is no quantified cost for this regulation. The regulations implement a European Court of Justice ruling. The insurance industry will face costs from underwriting changes; marketing changes; sales changes; and losses as a result of consumer premium changes. 
			 The Regulated Covered Bonds (Amendment) Regulations 2012 These changes will have no cost as they clarify existing requirements. 
			 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 The impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies is negligible. 
			 The Payments in Euro (Credit Transfers and Direct Debits) Regulations 2012 -£1,390,000. A net saving. 
			 The Belarus (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2013 The cost of the regulations is negligible, because this instrument does not itself impose significant requirements, but only puts in place penalties in relation to activities which are prohibited by the directly effective Council Regulation 
			 Financial Restrictions (Iran) (Revocation) Order 2013 The cost of the regulation is negligible. 
			 The Financial Services Act 2012 (Transitional Provisions) (Rules and Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 2013 Any costs imposed by these regulations are part of the costs of the regulatory reforms made by the Financial Services Act 2012. 
			 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 The cost of these regulation is negligible, because these Regulations do not themselves impose requirements, but only put in place penalties in relation to activities which are prohibited by the directly effective Council Regulation. 
			 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Prescribed Financial Institutions) Order 2013 Any costs imposed by these regulations are part of the costs of the regulatory reforms made by the Financial Services Act 2012. 
			 Financial Services Act 2012 £86,000,000. Illustrative benefits of £140,000,000 to £1,100,000,000 per year were also estimated for the Act.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many authorised agents have had their registration with HM Revenue and Customs deleted as a result of a data-cleansing routine; how many (a) active and (b) inactive agent codes have been deleted on each day since the data-cleansing routine process began; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what date senior HM Revenue and Customs officials were made aware that a data-cleansing routine was deleting the registration status of active authorised agents; on what date that data-cleansing routine (a) began and (b) ceased; how many active agents have had their registration status deleted; how many such agents have not had their status reinstated; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he has taken to ensure that all active authorised agents who have had their registration status deleted as a consequence of a HM Revenue and Customs data-cleansing process (a) are notified and (b) have their status reinstated; by what date all agents who have had their registration incorrectly deleted will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Since 2009 HMRC has run an annual data-cleansing routine for corporation tax agents every April. The aim is to reduce HMRC stationery and postage cost where agents have ceased to act. It has become apparent that agents who have recently set up but have not yet registered for online filing and are not yet authorised to act for a company are being automatically deleted in the annual cleanse. HMRC has now implemented changes to the routine that will ensure that any agent recently set up will not be cleansed in the April 2013 run.
	The following table provides the date on which each routine was run, the number of corporation tax agents cleansed and the number reinstated.
	
		
			 Date Cleansed Reinstated 
			 3 April 2009 92,190 1,559 
			 9 April 2010 3,685 363 
			 8 April 2011 4,568 545 
			 13 April 2012 4,346 379 
		
	
	The criteria for a corporation tax agent to be cleansed are:
	(1) Not registered for online filing, and
	(2) either:
	no client has ever been linked to them, or
	more than 12 months since any client linked to them, or
	any client linked to them ceased more than 12 months ago.

Revenue and Customs: Procurement

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises of the HM Revenue and Customs procurement plan.

David Gauke: To make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to do business with HMRC, opportunities are published on Contracts Finder alongside procurement opportunities for all Government Departments and agencies
	https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	HMRC also publishes all relevant procurement pipeline opportunities on Contracts Finder.
	HMRC is in the process of putting together a specific pipeline covering all planned procurements that will be published on the 'Potential supplier' section of its website.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the number of double-handled calls made to HM Revenue and Customs call centres;
	(2)  what plans he has to monitor the number of (a) repeat calls and (b) transferred calls made to HM Revenue and Customs call centres.

David Gauke: HMRC does not hold the information requested. The Department is committed to reviewing Contact Centre management information systems alongside NAO over the next12 months.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the customer service experience of HM Revenue and Customs call centres.

David Gauke: HMRC commissioned a new Contact Centre Customer Survey in October 2010. A report covering the results from April 2011 to March 2012 was published in January 2013 and can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/transparency/customer-experience-score.htm
	Overall the results from the survey show that 82% of customers rated their experience as providing a good or fairly good service.

Roads: Construction

Therese Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2013, Official Report, columns 927-8W, on roads: construction, what road building schemes he has announced in his Autumn Statements and Budgets since May 2010; and which of these schemes will require a toll to be levied to finance its construction.

Danny Alexander: The following road building schemes have been announced in the autumn statements and Budgets since May 2010: upgrades to key sections of the A1 in the north-east, a link between the A5 and M1, the dualling of a section of the A30, improvements to junction 30 of the M25, managed motorway schemes on the M3 and M6, improvements to the M1/M6 intersection, the A14 Kettering bypass/the widening of the A453, improvements to the A45/A46 at Tollbar End, the Bexhill to Hastings link road, the Rochdale interchange, the Kingskerwell bypass in Devon and the Lincoln Eastern bypass.
	None of these road building schemes will require a toll for finance.
	In the 2012 Budget the Government announced that it had identified a shortlist of options to increase capacity and improve performance on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge. It noted that some of these options could be part-funded though tolling where new road capacity is introduced.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department.

Sajid Javid: Provided there is a reasonable prospect of recovery and return to work, and subject to the conditions set out as follows, the Treasury will currently allow up to 12 months (365 days) paid sick absence in any rolling four year period.
	Within this limit, the Treasury will allow up to:
	six months absence (182 days) including weekends at full pay in any one rolling year;
	six months absence (183 days) including weekends at half pay in any one rolling year.
	Days paid are in line with the civil service sick pay scheme.
	The latest sickness absence data for the rolling year to the end of September 2012, showed that the Treasury's average working days lost (AWDL) figure was 4.0 days per individual. HM Treasury is firmly committed to the wellbeing of its staff and the reduction of sick absence across the Department. The Treasury regularly monitors sickness absences across the organisation and the reasons for them, particularly if a clear pattern emerges. There is support available for staff through a confidential Occupational Health service with an onsite Occupational Health Adviser available to discuss any medical conditions which could result in long term sickness absence. This service provides both help to identify, assess and prevent ill-health wherever possible and to provide assistance to any staff who are affected. There is also an Employee Assistance Programme which provides information and counselling services particularly if problems could result in stress related absence. Wellbeing events where staff can take part in health checks are also held from time to time.
	HM Treasury also publishes health and wellbeing information for staff including actions to help avoid illnesses such as norovirus, seasonal colds and flu. We also advertise a number of wellbeing services which are available on site at full cost to .the employee.

Social Security Benefits

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands, (c) Dudley borough and (d) Dudley North constituency receive (i) carer's allowance and (ii) tax credits.

Sajid Javid: The following table shows the number of families receiving tax credits, and the number of claimants of carer's allowance; for the four specified regions.
	
		
			 Thousand 
			  England West Midlands Dudley borough Dudley North constituency 
			 Number of families receiving tax credits (December 2012) 3,887.1 459.1 24.6 7.2 
			 Number of claimants of carer's allowance (February 2012) 504.8 63.1 4.0 1.2 
		
	
	The tax credit figures presented here will include a small number of out-of-work families for whom an amount equivalent to tax credits is provided through DWP benefits.
	These figures on tax credits are taken from the latest HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics: Geographic Analyses”, found here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-geog-stats/cwtc-geog-dec12.xls
	The figures on carer's allowance can also be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool

Social Services: Finance

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 601W, on social care funding, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on any Barnett consequentials arising from the proposals on the funding of care and support in England; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: Social care is the responsibility of the Scottish Government so the reforms announced will only apply in England. The Scottish Government will receive Barnett consequentials of any changes in UK departmental budgets in the normal way.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Sajid Javid: HM Treasury's 2012/13 Departmental Business Plan sets out its departmental priorities, staffing levels, and projected budget allocations at May 2012:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/hmt_dept_businessplan_ 310512.pdf
	Workforce implications of the Department's spending review settlement are reviewed annually by the Treasury's Executive Management Board, to ensure the Treasury fulfils it core economics and finance Ministry functions. The Treasury's 2013/14 Department Business Plan will set out the resource allocations for the year ahead when published later this year, in line with the cross-Whitehall process.

Tax Allowances

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has given consideration to raising the limits on tax relief on save as you earn share option schemes and share incentive plans.

David Gauke: The Government keeps the relevant limits for the Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) employee share schemes under review at all times. The average value of monthly contributions made under SAYE, and the average value of awards made to employees under SIP, are both estimated to be well within the current limits for the schemes.
	In response to the Office for Tax Simplification's (OTS) review into the tax-advantaged employee share schemes, which reported in March 2012, the Government has committed to introduce a number of proposals to simplify SAYE and SIP and make them more attractive to businesses and employees. Further detail on these proposals is provided as part of the Government's response to the consultation on the OTS's recommendations, which is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget-updates/11dec12/2068.pdf
	In all, the Government believes that rather than increasing the current limits, which would only be of benefit to participants who currently contribute the maximum amounts, available resources are better deployed in this package of simplification measures that will benefit a wider range of participants.

Tax Avoidance

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to tackle tax avoidance; and if he will consider strengthening disclosure of tax avoidance schemes guidance to help developing countries.

David Gauke: The Government is reinvesting almost £1 billion into HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to better tackle evasion, criminal attacks, unpaid tax debt and avoidance, which will result in additional compliance revenues of £9 billion per annum by the end of 2014/15. The Government has a number of tools at its disposal for tackling tax avoidance, including the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) regime. However, DOTAS is highly specific to the UK, as it only concerns UK taxes, and requires a detailed knowledge of the UK's tax system. It cannot, therefore, be applied to other countries. Nevertheless, the Government has other policies in place to more directly assist developing countries by, for instance, building their capacity to establish and maintain effective tax systems of their own.

Taxation: Energy

Andy Sawford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered introducing energy tax exemptions such as exist in Germany to protect the long-term competitiveness of the UK's energy-intensive industries.

Sajid Javid: The Government has already taken action to ensure the UK's energy-intensive industries remain competitive. From this year, the Government is implementing measures worth around £250 million over the spending review period to reduce the impact of policy on the costs of electricity for the most electricity-intensive industries. This includes an increase in the level of relief from the climate change levy on electricity for Climate Change Agreement participants from 65 to 90% and a compensation package to help offset the cost of reducing carbon emissions. As set out in the Energy Bill, energy intensive industries will also be exempted from the costs of Contracts for Difference under Electricity Market Reform, subject to consultation and state aid clearance.

Unemployment: Young People

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his Department has had with organisations, businesses and charities from the west midlands on youth unemployment in that region.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of authorities as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
	Announced at the Autumn Statement 2011, the £1 billion Youth Contract went live in April 2012 and will support up to 500,000 young people into employment and education opportunities.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Sajid Javid: The number of HMT staff working in Hull and East Yorkshire is nil.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Society Capital

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent staff were employed at Big Society Capital in each of the last 12 months; and how many such staff (a) left and (b) joined Big Society Capital in that period.

Nick Hurd: Big Society Capital (BSC) is an independent organisation established in April 2012. All details regarding its operations, including staffing levels, will be publicly available through its published annual report and accounts.

Civil Service Advisory Board

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the implementation of decisions of the Civil Service Advisory Board.

Francis Maude: There is no civil service body called the Civil Service Advisory Board. However there was a non-departmental public body, the Civil Service Appeal Board, until 2011 when its functions were accommodated within the civil service.

Correspondence

William Cash: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that all (a) hon. Members and (b) Secretaries of State are aware of guidance published by his Department in July 2005 on handling correspondence from hon. Members, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies; what steps he is taking to ensure that all Government departments comply with the detail prescribed in that guidance (i) throughout, (ii) in paragraph 30 on ministerial signatures and (iii) in Annex A on monitoring, chasing and following up responses; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Individual Departments are responsible for the effective and efficient handling of correspondence received in accordance with the principles set out in the Cabinet Office guidance which is available on the Cabinet Office website:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/guidance-handling-government-correspondence
	and in the Libraries of the House.
	The Government is determined to respond to Members' correspondence in a timely and accurate manner and publishes a written ministerial statement detailing departments' response times to Members' letters on an annual basis. The statement for 2012 is due to be published shortly.

Cost of Living

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the cost of living, at today's prices, for the average family in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of the cost of living, at today's prices, for the average family in each of the last 30 years (144272).
	The information requested is not available.
	The consumer price inflation statistics produced by ONS are specifically not intended to measure what people often refer to as the “cost of living”. In popular usage, what this means is ill defined. Some use it to mean a measure of the cost of buying sufficient quantities of various items to maintain some minimal standard of living. However, defining this standard is very subjective. Also, if the minimal acceptable standard rises over time, such an index would rise more rapidly than our inflation measures.
	Another definition is an index restricted to basic essentials. However, it would be difficult to reach a consensus on what constitutes “basic essentials”. For example, items such as tobacco could be excluded because tobacco may or may not be considered an essential item. Also, many former luxuries such as telephones are how usually considered essential.
	The economic definition of the cost of living is the answer to the question “What is the minimum cost, at this month's prices, of achieving the level of utility actually attained in the base period?” Due to the stress on minimum, a cost of living index will usually give a lower rate of inflation than our inflation measures.
	Furthermore, consumer price statistics do not measure inflation for the average family. The statistics measure changes to the cost of a “basket” of goods and services bought by households. The content of the basket reflects household expenditure—the more that is spent on an item, the greater importance it has on inflation. The basket looks at total expenditure by households in aggregate rather than expenditure for an ‘average’ family. For example, the prices of gas, electricity and coal heating are included in the basket, although it is unlikely that many households would use all three.
	Here is a link to our latest CPI (Consumer Price Indices) release:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/cpi/consumer-price-indices/january-2013/index.html
	Please note that these are not cost of living indices and do not approximate cost of living indices.

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of the cyber security of different brands of mobile devices.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 January 2013, Official Report, column 693W.

Employment: Females

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of recent trends in female employment in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the recent trends in female employment in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK. (144216)
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Table 1 shows the number of women aged 16 and over who were in employment in the week prior to interview for the 12 month period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month period October 2010 to September 2011 from the APS along with the change in the number between the two periods.
	Table 2 shows the employment rate for women aged 16 to 64 in the week prior to interview for the 12 month period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month period October 2010 to September 2011 from the APS along with the change in the number between the two periods.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in table 1.
	A wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics’ Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment level for females aged 16 and over 
			 Thousand 
			  12 months ending  
			  September 2011 September 2012(1) Change between 12-month periods ending September 2011 and September 2012 
			 Glasgow North West 18 ***21 3 
			 Glasgow 124 **124 0 
			 Scotland 1,184 *1,182 -2 
			 UK 13,384 *13,497 113 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Employment rate for females aged 16 to 64 
			 Percentage 
			  12 months ending  
			  September 2011 September 2012 Change between 12-month periods ending September 2011 and September 2012 
			 Glasgow North West 57.1 62.1 5.0 
			 Glasgow 58.3 58.8 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			 Scotland 66.8 66.8 0.0 
			 UK 64.8 65.2 0.4 
			 Source: Annual Population Survey.

Employment: Females

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of women with children who are (a) not employed, (b) in part-time work and (c) in full-time work (i) in Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) in Glasgow, (iii) in Scotland and (iv) in the UK in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the number of women with children who are (a) not employed, (b) in part-time work and (c) in full-time work, in (i) Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) in the UK in each of the last five years. (144585)
	Estimates have been provided from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. They show the estimated number of women with children who were employed on a full or part-time basis and those not employed for the UK, Scotland and Glasgow in January to December from 2007 to 2011. It was not possible to provide estimates for those in Glasgow North West due to the small sample size.
	The estimates are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Number of women(1) with dependent children(2) who are i) in full-time work ii) in part-time work iii) not employed, January-December 2007-11 
			 Thousand 
			  UK Scotland Glasgow 
			  Employed  Employed  Employed  
			  Full-time Part-Time Not employed Full-time Part-Time Not employed Full-time Part-Time Not employed 
			 2007 2,137 2,751 2,339 185 234 164 18 19 28 
			 2008 2,196 2,749 2,347 187 234 161 19 18 24 
			 2009 2,195 2,775 2,430 184 233 169 16 22 25 
			 2010 2,220 2,780 2,422 184 238 167 16 20 26 
			 2011 2,130 2,697 2,385 170 218 169 17 20 26 
			 (1) Women are aged between 16 and 64. (2) Dependent children refers to children who are aged between 0-15 and those aged 16-18 who are in full-time education. Source: Annual Population Survey household datasets

Employment: Retail Trade

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the retail sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the retail sector. (143990)
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). The table below contains the latest figures available, showing the number in employment in the retail trade sector in 2011, for Barnsley Central parliamentary constituency, the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and England.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Employment in the retail trade sector(1) for Barnsley Central, South Yorkshire and England: 2011 
			  Number 
			 Barnsley Central 3,730 
			 South Yorkshire(2) 54,932 
			 England 2,346,867 
			 (1) Division 47 of the Standard Industrial Classification 2007. (2) Former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.

Employment: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what proportion of people were self-employed in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years. (144142); and what proportion of people were self-employed in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years. (144141)
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following international Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Table 1 shows the number of people who were in full-time or part-time employment in the week prior to interview during the relevant reference periods. Estimates have been provided for the 12 month period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month periods ending in December for 2008 to 2011 from the APS.
	Table 2 show the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who were self-employed for the same periods.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	A wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of people employed full-time or part-time in their main job 
			 Thousand 
			  Brigg and Goole Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 12 months ending: Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 
			 December 2008 31 12 1,787 651 
			 December 2009 31 13 1,736 654 
			 December 2010 35 12 1,738 663 
			 December 2011 33 11 1,729 662 
			 September 2012(1) **29 ***12 *1,730 *682 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number and percentage of people in self-employed jobs 
			  Brigg and Goole Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 12 months ending: Number (thousand) Percentage Number (thousand) Percentage 
			 December 2008 6 10.0 275 8.2 
			 December 2009 5 9.3 266 7.8 
			 December 2010 5 8.2 285 8.3 
			 December 2011 5 9.9 277 8.0 
			 September 2012(1) ***5 9.8 *277 8.0 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Employment: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average number of hours a week spent in employment by people under 18 years old in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the average number of hours a week spent in employment by people under 18 years old in each of the last 30 years. (144273)
	Estimates of average hours worked are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The information requested is shown in the following table. Estimates prior to 1993 are not available.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Four quarter annual averages, 1993 to 2012—United Kingdom 
			  Total in employment (thousand) Average actual weekly hours worked (hours) 
			 1993 576 18.5 
			 1994 580 18.8 
			 1995 624 19.3 
			 1996 666 18.9 
			 1997 709 19.0 
			 1998 699 19.3 
			 1999 670 18.7 
			 2000 662 18.0 
			 2001 668 18.5 
			 2002 659 17.8 
			 2003 652 17.8 
			 2004 642 17.7 
			 2005 607 17.4 
			 2006 559 16.2 
		
	
	
		
			 2007 535 16.5 
			 2008 524 16.0 
			 2009 430 14.1 
			 2010 377 13.6 
			 2011 347 14.0 
			 2012 346 13.6 
			 Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Employment: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of teenagers under 18 years old were in work in each constituency in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of teenagers under 18 years of age were in work in each constituency in each of the last 30 years. (144274)
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Unfortunately, due to small sample sizes, the requested estimates are not sufficiently reliable and therefore not available at constituency level from this source. However, we can produce the data you require at a regional level. Please follow this link to our website.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-labour/regional-labour-market-statistics/february-2013/rft-lfs-reg-x01-february-2013.xls
	A wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) on 14 May 2012, Official Report, column 23W, 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 216W, and on 17 January 2013, Official Report, column 939W.

Married People: Working Hours

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many hours were worked on average by married couples in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many hours were worked on average by married couples in each of the last 30 years (144271).
	Estimates have been provided from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets. They show the average combined hours per week of couples where at least one of the couple was in work in April to June of each year since 1996. It covers hours worked in main job and second job where applicable. Data is not available prior to 1996.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Average number of hours(1) worked by married couples, April-June 1996 to 2012, United Kingdom 
			  Average numbers of hours worked 
			 2012 58 
			 2011 59 
			 2010 60 
			 2009 59 
			 2008 60 
			 2007 60 
			 2006 60 
			 2005 61 
			 2004 60 
			 2003 60 
			 2002 60 
			 2001 61 
			 2000 61 
			 1999 61 
			 1998 62 
			 1997 62 
			 1996 62 
			 (1) Hours worked refers to the total actual hours worked per week by both partners in main and second job. Note: Those in employment are aged 16 and over. Source: Labour Force Survey household datasets

Older Workers: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of people aged over 65 in the working population in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of people aged over 65 in the working population in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and The Humber in each of the last 5 years.(143657)
	Labour Market Statistics for geographic areas within the UK are produced from the Annual Population Survey (APS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The term working population has been interpreted as those who were in employment in the week prior to interview, during the relevant reference periods. Estimates have been provided from the APS for the 12 month period October 2011 to September 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month periods ending in December for 2008 to 2011.
	Estimates of people aged 65 and over have been provided, rather than over 65, as the former is the standard size-banding used for labour market analyses. Due to its small sample size, an estimate at Parliamentary Constituency level is not available for Brigg and Goole Constituency.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of. uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	A wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Number of people aged 65 and over in employment resident in Yorkshire and The Humber 
			  Thousand 
			 12 months ending:  
			 December 2008 47 
			 December 2009 52 
			 December 2010 58 
			 December 2011 59 
			 September 2012(1) *56 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Work

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which body now owns the database of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The database is currently owned by LOCOG. An announcement on its future ownership will be made imminently.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Work

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the total cost of the volunteering programme up to and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: Over the two years 2011-12 and 2012-13, over £30 million was spent on supporting social action initiatives and innovation in giving, including the giving of time, through the Social Action Fund and Innovation in Giving Fund. A further £40 million will be spent supporting social action over the next two financial years.

Personal Income

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) national average income per head and (b) regional average income per head in England was in each month since May 2010; and what the average income per head is in Barnsley Central constituency.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 14 February 2013
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) national average income per head and (b) regional average income per head in England is in each month since May 2010; and what the average income per head is in Barnsley Central constituency (143426).
	Estimates of average income per head are not available, but estimates of average earnings for employee jobs are. Average levels of weekly earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Estimates are not available on a monthly basis.
	The following table shows the median and mean gross weekly earnings for employee jobs in (a) the UK, (b) the English regions, and (c) Barnsley Central constituency for April in each year from 2010 to 2012.
	
		
			 Median and mean gross weekly earnings (£)—for all employee jobs(1) in the UK, the English regions and Barnsley Central constituency for April in each year from 2010 to 2012 
			  2010(2) 2011(2) 2011(3) 2012(3) 
			  Median Mean Median Mean Median Mean Median Mean 
			 United Kingdom 403.8 487.6 403.9 491.4 400.0 487.2 405.0 490.3 
			          
			 North East 367.7 427.8 370.4 435.8 366.6 432.4 372.0 434.9 
			 North West 377.4 449.4 373.7 445.9 370.8 442.0 378.0 448.3 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 375.2 435.4 374.1 437.8 369.7 433.1 376.6 440.4 
			 East Midlands 379.6 447.5 378.1 443.9 373.7 439.3 378.3 444.8 
			 West Midlands 376.7 445.4 375.6 444.6 370.0 439.1 378.5 445.4 
			 East 389.8 462.0 392.3 463.5 387.4 458.1 387.5 455.1 
			 London 564.3 688.4 566.5 708.0 562.6 702.1 572.8 696.9 
			 South East 418.4 502.3 422.0 505.9 421.3 504.7 430.5 516.0 
			 South West 371.6 437.6 366.5 432.0 362.8 428.2 366.5 431.2 
			          
		
	
	
		
			 Barnsley Central(4) *391.7 431.2 *388.6 441.2 *384.8 436.6 *399.7 451.6 
			 (1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (2) Results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) Results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. (4) Parliamentary constituency. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: CV ≤ 5% * CV >5% and =10% CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Personal Income: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average (a) personal and (b) household (i) gross and (ii) net income is in the Tees Valley.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average (a) personal and (b) household (i) gross and (ii) net income is in the Tees Valley. (143924).
	The Tees Valley is defined as the boroughs of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. The Middle Super Output Areas covering these five boroughs have been used to produce the income estimates. Table 1 shows the average gross and net weekly household income for the Tees Valley area, for 2007/08, the latest year for which data is available at this geographic level. It is anticipated that the next published set of estimates, for 2010/11, will be produced later this year. These figures are based on small area income estimates published by the ONS.
	Personal gross and net income are unavailable from the small area income estimates. Gross income includes earnings (gross); self-employment; investments; disability benefits; retirement pensions and income support; other benefits (including tax credits); other pensions; and other/remaining sources. These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Table 1: Average gross and net weekly household income in the Tees Valley, 2007/08(1,2) 
			 £ per week 
			  Mean gross(3) household income (unequivalised) Mean net(4) household income (unequivalised) 
			 2007/08 570 470 
			 (1) Incomes are presented unequivalised and before housing costs. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. (3) The sum of the gross income of every household member plus income from taxes and benefits. (4) Net income is gross income minus income tax payments, national insurance contributions, council tax, contributions to occupational pension schemes and some inter-household payments. Source: ONS.

Population

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will calculate from the 2011 census the number of adult citizens over 18 years of age residing in the UK from (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the Republic of Ireland and (c) EU countries excluding the Republic of Ireland.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, from the 2011 Census, the number of adult citizens over 18 years of age residing in the UK from (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the Republic of Ireland and (c) EU countries excluding the Republic of Ireland. 142745
	ONS has published “Country of Birth” estimates, but not “Country of Birth by age” and we are therefore unable to answer your question. However, the data you request is scheduled to be published between April and June this year, the next major release of Census statistics for England and Wales.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal;
	(2)  how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; if he will list those regulations; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of their introduction.

Francis Maude: Information regarding regulation introduced (INs) and repealed (OUTs) by the Cabinet Office is published on a six-monthly basis in its Statement of New Regulation (SNR). The period 1 June 2012 to 31 January 2013 is covered by Statements:
	SNR3—1 January to 30 June 2012
	SNR4—1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012, and
	SNR5—1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013
	All statements are available on the Cabinet website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/statement-new-regulation

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many thefts of motor vehicles were recorded in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many thefts of motor vehicles were recorded in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years (143803).
	Police recorded crime figures are provided for the last five financial years (April to March) for East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire local authority areas combined and for Yorkshire and Humber. Crime data are not available at parliamentary constituency level; in this instance Brigg and Goole constituency spans two local authority areas. A combined figure for these two local authority areas is given. It should be noted that this combined area will cover a much larger area than Brigg and Goole constituency itself.
	The table includes crimes recorded as either ‘Aggravated vehicle taking’ or ‘Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle’.
	
		
			  2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 1,144 1,163 781 696 584 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Region 19,466 17,875 12,962 10,766 8,900 
		
	
	National Statistics published by ONS on police recorded crime at local authority level are only available for aggregated offence groups. Therefore the data provided above, which refer to more specific offences, have been extracted from ‘Police recorded crime open data Community Safety Partnership tables from 2007-8 to 2010-11’ and ‘Police recorded crime open data Community Safety Partnership tables from 2011-12’, available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/prc-open-data-tables/

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many thefts of motor vehicles were recorded in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many thefts of motor vehicles were recorded in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency in each of the last five years
	Police recorded crime figures are provided for the last five financial years (April to March) for the Hull local. authority area. Crime data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. The table includes crimes recorded as either ‘aggravated vehicle taking’ or ‘theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle’.
	
		
			 Kingston upon Hull 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Theft of a motor vehicle 1,195 1,016 741 601 508 
		
	
	National Statistics published by ONS on police recorded crime at local authority level is only available for aggregated offence groups. Therefore the data provided above, which refer to more specific offences, have been extracted from ‘Police recorded crime open data Community Safety Partnership tables from 2007-8 to 2010-11’ and ‘Police recorded crime open data Community Safety Partnership tables from 2011-12’, available here:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/prc-open-data-tables/
	We would also recommend that you visit the ONS website for further information:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/trends-in-crime--a-short-story.html

SCOTLAND

Corporate Services

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has paid to the Scottish Government for corporate services in each year since May 2010; and what services were provided for such payments.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office paid the Scottish Government £121,934 in 2010-11, £114,915 in 2011-12 and £107,614 in 2012-13 for information communications and technology services.

Housing Benefit

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland who will receive housing benefit that is (a) less than £5, (b) £5 to £10, (c) £10 to £15, (d) £15 to £20, (e) £20 to £25 and (f) £25 and over per week lower than their current housing benefit following the introduction of the size criteria for housing benefit.

Michael Moore: The Department for Work and Pensions’ impact assessment, published on 28 June 2012, provides estimates of the number of people affected and the reduction in housing benefit they may experience. The impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf

Official Cars

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to the Exchequer has been of his ministerial car in each of the last three years.

Michael Moore: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given to the hon. Member for Harrow West (Mr Thomas) on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 744W.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Mundell: Each year, the Scotland Office takes forward a programme of Orders under the Scotland Act 1998. Generally, Scotland Act Orders make changes to the law in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or the reserved law of the UK which are outwith the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and many of these changes are consequential to provisions made in Acts of the Scottish Parliament. Between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 the following Orders came in to force:
	The Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008 (Ticket Touting Offence) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1852); and
	The Forestry Commissioners (Climate Change Functions) (Scotland) Order 2012 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2855).
	There were no implementation costs associated with these Orders.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biofuels

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 7W, on biomass, if he will assess the potential social effects of fine particles estimated to arise from the combustion of biomass.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 4 February 2012, Official Report, column 7W. Further to this, we have no current plans to carry out analysis of the potential social effects of fine particle emissions beyond the monetisation of the health impacts.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which TB infected cattle sent for slaughter may enter the UK food chain; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: It has always been the case that meat passed as fit for human consumption from TB test positive cattle (reactors) can enter the human food chain subject to the outcome of post-mortem inspection. Stringent post-mortem controls, which adhere to requirements set out in EU food hygiene legislation, operate in British slaughterhouses.
	All cattle slaughtered for human consumption are examined ante- and post-mortem for evidence of disease (including TB) by Food Standards Agency (FSA) meat inspectors under the supervision of an official veterinarian. Where signs of generalised TB infection are present, or TB lesions are discovered in more than one organ or region of the carcase, the entire carcase and offal are seized and disposed of. If no visible lesions (or a single lesion) of TB are found, only the affected part of the carcase is destroyed. This judgement rule applies across the EU.
	A good deal of research and risk assessments have been carried out in this area. The FSA's own independent expert advisory panel (the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food) has concluded that the risk, if any, from consuming meat from TB reactors sold as fresh meat for human consumption is very low. TB is not typically an infection of the muscle tissue, but any bovine TB bacteria that might be found in the meat of infected cattle after post-mortem inspection should be killed by thorough cooking.
	For more information see:
	http://acmsf.food.gov.uk/acmsfmeets/acmsf2010/acmsf250310/acmsfagenda250310

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

Richard Benyon: Details of property occupation costs for the Department are provided on the HM Government transparency website at:
	http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/epims/resource/fd9c00c8-48e1-4231-ada6-283f29a7c4ab

Coastal Erosion: Dorset

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of any sea level rises which will affect the Dorset coastline over the next (a) 10, (b) 30 and (c) 50 years; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Coastal erosion risk mapping data was published on the Environment Agency website in April 2012, covering many parts of England and Wales, including the Dorset coastline. This data shows erosion predicted over the short term (to about 2030), medium term (to about 2060) and long term (to about 2100).

Floods

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the response to the recent floods.

Richard Benyon: The Government is grateful for the response from our front-line emergency services, which were deployed around the clock, including during public holidays. The staff of the fire, ambulance, police and other rescue services, local authorities, the Environment Agency, the voluntary sector, and local communities worked tirelessly in response to the floods. The Flood Forecasting Centre consistently provided high-quality forecasting and was able to predict risks accurately, which enabled timely action to be taken on the ground.
	The Environment Agency estimates over 22,000 properties were protected in England and Wales which would otherwise have flooded in December, through a combination of flood defences, maintenance work, storage basins and temporary defence measures. This is in addition to 183,000 between April and November. In the course of the flooding events last year, nationally held flood rescue assets were successfully deployed to support local partners across the country, including high volume pumps, boats and urban search and rescue assets.
	Currently more than 97% of existing defences in high consequence areas are at or above their target condition and are expected to remain so within current budgets. The Environment Agency targets its maintenance to ensure that it meets any legal requirements and maximises the outcome in terms of reducing the risk of flooding.

Food: Waste

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of food waste from the commercial catering sector was sent to landfill in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not currently hold this data. The Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has a study under way, however, which will include the figures for 2012. The results are expected this spring and will be available on WRAP’s website.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA occupies sites in London, York, Alnwick and Bristol. Catering is provided by a third party contractor at Nobel House in London and Kings Pool in York. There is no catering provision at Lion House in Alnwick and core DEFRA is a minor occupier at Temple Quay House in Bristol, with no responsibility for the services in that building.
	Data is available for food waste collected from the catering facility in London, and staff composting caddies in both London and York. Data on food waste from the York site catering facility is not available. All food waste collected is sent for composting or anaerobic digestion.
	The amount sent for composting or anaerobic digestion by core DEFRA in each of the last two financial years is shown in the following table. Data is not yet available for 2012-13.
	
		
			  Tonnes 
			 2010-11 31.04 
			 2011-12 13.63

Horses: Animal Welfare

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider banning dry-branding of wild ponies.

David Heath: There are no proposals to ban either freeze branding or hot branding of semi-wild moorland ponies as these methods provide a useful way of visually identifying such animals. However, we have asked the relevant moorland pony societies to draft a code of practice on hot branding and they are also committed to looking at suitable alternative methods of identification. Dry-branding is not a term generally used in this context.

Meat: Contamination

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in the UK are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.

David Heath: There are seven laboratories in the UK that are able to conduct the DNA tests necessary to identify adulterated horsemeat.

Meat: Imports

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much processed and frozen meat has been imported from (a) EU countries and (b) other countries in the last month.

David Heath: The most recent month for which figures are available is November 2012.
	The following table shows UK imports of prepared or preserved meat, and of frozen meat where distinguishable from the figures available, as recorded in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs overseas trade statistics.
	
		
			 Tonnes 
			 Type EU Non EU November 2012 Total 
			 Prepared or preserved Meat or Offal of all types 44,659 20,396 65,054 
			 Beef and veal—frozen 4,244 900 5,144 
			 Sheep and goat meat, frozen 445 3,124 3,569 
			 Pork, frozen 6,883 140 7,024 
			 Poultrymeat and offal, frozen(1) 11,262 1,994 13,256 
			 Edible offal and other meat (e.g. game etc.), fresh, chilled or frozen 4,604 605 5,210 
			 (1) Includes 33 tonnes of guinea fowl meat from EU which cannot be split between fresh, chilled or frozen. Note: 2012 data is subject to amendments. Source: HM Revenue and Customs

Milk

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government to assess the potential effect on milk supplies of the reduction in the options for control of flukicides;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the European Commission's implementing regulations allowing for the establishment of maximum residue levels for milk in respect of the majority of flukicides.

David Heath: holding answer 12 February 2013
	The Veterinary Medicines Directorate regularly engages with the Scottish Government on Veterinary Medicines issues.
	The decision to change the labelling on veterinary medicines containing certain flukicides to contra-indicate their use in lactating cows was made at the European level. The European Commission's series of implementing regulations permit the establishment of maximum residue limits (MRLs) in milk and will ensure the safety of milk and milk products from treated dairy cattle for consumers. As a result of the recently established MRLs for some flukicides, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate is encouraging manufacturers of these veterinary medicinal products authorised for use in the UK to apply for milk withdrawal periods by submitting residue depletion studies.
	The availability of veterinary medicines is controlled by European law, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, as the Competent Authority for the United Kingdom, has contributed to the discussions held by European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use. This issue affects dairy producers in all member states including the whole of the United Kingdom.
	Advice on alternative veterinary medicinal products is available on request from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on its representation of foreign fishing vessels;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on increasing transparency of its (a) fishermen's associations and (b) vessel members.

Richard Benyon: I meet fishermen and members of their various representative bodies regularly to discuss a wide range of matters of interest.

National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on its continued representation of the vessel O Genita.

Richard Benyon: I have not met with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss the vessel O Genita.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs revoked 24 statutory instruments between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. A table of the instruments revoked is set out as follows. The Department did not repeal any primary legislation in this period. Any information that is available on estimated costs and savings to business is set out in individual Impact Assessments. These are available electronically from the Better Regulation Executive's Impact Assessment Library:
	http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/
	or
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk
	where they are linked to the legislation.
	
		
			  Regulation 
			 The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012  
			 Regulations Revoked The Plant Protection Products (Basic Conditions) Regulations 1997 
			  The Plant Protection Products (Basic Conditions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 
		
	
	
		
			 The British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012  
			 Regulation Revoked The Regulatory Reform (British Waterways Board) Order 2003 
			 The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations(1)  
			 Regulations Revoked The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2005 
			  The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2009 
			  The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products (Amendment) Regulations 2010 
			 The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) Regulations 2012  
			 Regulations Revoked Regulations 20 and 22 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 
			 The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances (Abolition) Order 2012(1)  
			 Regulations Revoked The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances Order 1991 
			  The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances (Terms of Office) Regulations 1991 
			 The Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2012(1)  
			 Regulation Revoked The Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) Regulations 2012 
			 The Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) (No. 2) Order 2012(1)  
			 Regulation Revoked The Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) Order 2012 
			 The Scallop Fishing (England) Order 2012  
			 Regulation Revoked The Scallop Fishing Order 2004 
			 The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (England) Order 2012(1)  
			 Regulation Revoked The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (England) Order 2011 
			 The Zootechnical Standards (England) Regulations 2012  
			 Regulations Revoked The Zootechnical Standards Regulations 1992 in relation to England 
			  The Zootechnical Standards (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007 
			 The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)  
			 Regulations Revoked The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Reductions from Payments) (England) Regulations 2006 
			 The Uplands Transitional Payment Regulations 2013(1)  
			 Regulations Revoked The Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2006 
			  The Hill Farm Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2006 
			  The Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2007 
			  The Hill Farm Allowance Regulations 2008 
			 The Pollution Prevention and Control (Designation of Directives) (England and Wales) Order 2013(1)  
			 Regulation Revoked The Pollution Prevention and Control (Designation of Directives) (England and Wales) Order 2011 
			 The Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2013  
			 Regulations Revoked The Landfill Allowances and Trading Scheme (England) Regulations 2004 
			  The Landfill Allowances and Trading Scheme (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 
			 (1) Denotes the measure did not require an impact assessment.

Slaughterhouses

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to European Council Regulation No. 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing, what steps he plans to take to comply with Article 3 of that regulation and ensure that animals shall be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations.

David Heath: The Government expects the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and any cruelty towards animals is unacceptable. Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are present at every licensed slaughterhouse (approved premises) in Great Britain and will investigate any alleged infringement of domestic or EU regulations.
	We have consulted on proposals to implement Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing in England and we are currently considering the responses received. Until new domestic implementing legislation is in place to replace existing domestic regulations (the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995) cases where it is alleged animals have suffered avoidable pain, distress or suffering at the time of killing will be investigated with a view to prosecution under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. All FSA official veterinarians have been authorised to act on behalf of the Secretary of State in this capacity.

Trees

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many ash trees have been planted as part of the Big Tree Plant campaign since the launch of the scheme.

David Heath: Since its launch in December 2010, 239,514 trees have been planted as part of the Big Tree Plant campaign. These trees were planted during 2010-11 and 2011-12. I can confirm that at least 400 of these are ash trees. There will be many more but applicants were not required to include detailed species breakdowns within their applications. The current application form requests greater detail on species but retrospective information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Applicants are encouraged to plant United Kingdom grown trees to avoid unknowingly importing pests and diseases and to buy their trees from reputable suppliers. To help prevent the spread of ash dieback disease we have also advised all applicants to replace any ash trees they were intending to plant during future planting seasons with alternative species.

Waste Management

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress he has made in implementing the principles of the waste hierarchy; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: In the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, DEFRA made a clear commitment to ensure that the waste hierarchy is embedded in all our major waste policies, such as the forthcoming Waste Prevention Programme and Waste Management Plan for England.
	In the same year, we produced guidance to help industry understand and apply the waste hierarchy, along with in-depth supporting evidence. Last year, DEFRA officials and the Environment Agency ran a series of workshops across the country to familiarise waste producers with the concept and legal requirements of the waste hierarchy.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) east Yorkshire.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA has no staff employed in either (a) Hull or (b) east Yorkshire.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by her Department.

Alan Duncan: DFID relocated in February 2013 to a new Government-owned London HQ in Whitehall.
	In 2011-12 the amounts spent on UK estates were:
	
		
			 Financial 2011-12 
			 £ 
			 Expenditure category 1 Palace street Abercrombie House 
			 Rent 5,245,684 n/a 
			 Rates 2,519,795 433,866 
			 Contractual costs 902,944 451,501 
			 Other costs 394,350 235,356 
		
	
	The move from Palace street to Whitehall is expected to reduce overall property costs by approximately £7 million per year.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by her Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development has two UK properties occupied by officials.
	Abercrombie House in East Kilbride has a total occupied floor space of 9,513 square metres and a floor space per full time equivalent post of 17.02 square metres.
	22 Whitehall has a total occupied floor space of 8,678 square metres and a floor space per full time equivalent post of 11.15 square metres.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of her Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Alan Duncan: DFID currently occupies two UK properties as detailed in the table. The Department's London HQ has relocated to freehold property at 22 Whitehall, and has relinquished the lease on our former building (Palace St.).
	
		
			 Property Location Status Total occupied floor space (sq m) 
			 Abercrombie House East Kilbride Owned by HMG 9,513 
			 22 Whitehall London Owned by HMG 8,678 
		
	
	The Department also has 30 overseas offices.

Burma

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received on whether there is unrestricted access for the delivery of humanitarian access in Burma.

Alan Duncan: In 2011 British humanitarian aid reached over 86,000 people affected by conflict in Burma. However, access in some areas of Burma remains a concern.
	In Kachin state, for example, international organisations, including the UN struggle to receive access permission from both sides involved in the conflict. The UK, however, is able to deliver humanitarian aid there through an international non-government organisation, working closely with local organisations.
	The UK regularly raises the urgent need for full and unfettered humanitarian access to ail displaced people in Kachin state with the Burmese authorities, representatives of non-state armed groups and the UN. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), discussed this with the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, Baroness Amos, recently.

Burma

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many children in Chin State, Burma will benefit from the work of the Myanmar Education Consortium.

Alan Duncan: Across eight townships in Chin State more than 7,500 children will benefit from Early Childhood Development and Primary Education support under the Myanmar Education Consortium.

Burma

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on outside consultants working on Burma-related issues in each of the last two years.

Alan Duncan: In 2011-12, in Burma, DFID's expenditure on direct consultancy was £175,000. There has not been any spending on direct consultancy services in 2012-13. Details of DFID expenditure over £500 since April 2011 are available on the DFID website:
	www.DFID.gov.uk

Burma

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department has provided for rehabilitation and counselling services for former political prisoners in Burma.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development has not provided funding for rehabilitation and counselling services for former political prisoners in Burma. The UK is, however, providing assistance through the British Council to help former political prisoners to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence, including language skills, to take an active and effective role in the political process, perform more effectively within their organisations and communities, and engage with the diplomatic and international business community.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who her Department's cycling champion is.

Alan Duncan: DFID has three cyclists who champion an office-wide cycling group of over 80 members who disseminate information on cycling issues such as events, tips, cycling routes.
	The cycling group have recently worked closely with the Facilities Management team on the accommodation move to a new office at Whitehall. We have ensured that the new cycling facilities meet all the cyclists' needs and help encourage more cycling. New features include secure cycle storage and improved shower and changing facilities.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress her Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee.

Alan Duncan: Although DFID is not formally signed up to the Cycle to Work guarantee, we do meet most of the requirements set out in this initiative. We have provided secure locker facilities, showers and changing facilities. We have also hosted bike repair sessions at our London office using the ‘Bike Doctor’ in the last few years. Due to the particularly wet weather at our Scottish office, we have also installed a drying room for our cyclists. The interests of our cyclists (in terms of facilities) were also taken into full account in the planning of our recent London HQ relocation.
	We have also seen a significant increase in the number of DFID members joining the Cycle to Work scheme over the last few years. Our first member signed up in October 2008 and we now have a total of 145, over 11% of total staff. We actively promote the scheme through our internal website and we display information on cycle routes in our reception areas.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme.

Alan Duncan: DFID is a member of the Government's cycle to work scheme.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what specific criteria on value for money must be satisfied before her Department allocates funds to the Green Climate Fund.

Lynne Featherstone: Delivering an effective Green Climate Fund (GCF), that provides excellent value for money for UK tax payers and for poor people in developing countries, is a key UK objective. We are working to design a fund that can deliver at scale and at speed, is focused on results, and which incentivises action by the private sector.
	We are confident that an organisation that performs well against the UK's Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) criteria is providing value for money for UK aid. We will therefore assess the GCF design against the MAR criteria.

Developing Countries: Financial Services

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects her Department is funding that involve (a) inclusive financial services and (b) reform of regulatory environments for inclusive financial services.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently implementing 16 financial sector development programmes that are working to improve policy, develop market infrastructure, build sustainable institutions and develop products and services to increase the access of poor people and small firms to affordable, quality financial services. DFID also supports a number of other initiatives implemented by partners that contribute directly or indirectly to providing inclusive financial services.
	Improving the regulatory environment is integral to increasing financial inclusion. DFID is working through the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion to ensure the global regulatory environment remains effective and proportionate, while enabling responsible access to financial services for poor people. DFID also jointly funds the Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening Initiative that provides technical assistance across a range of regulatory areas, including inclusive finance.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries her Department is supporting in the training, recruitment and retention of health workers.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is strongly committed to strengthening health systems and to supporting health workers as part of this. Our commitment to help save the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth and 250,000 newborn babies needs skilled health workers in the right place at the right time. DFID's support in 28 countries includes assistance to strengthening the health work force including increasing the number of posts filled by trained health workers, such as nurses, birth attendants and midwives trained in emergency obstetric care. In Ethiopia, DFID support is helping scale up access to health care through increasing the numbers of community health workers across the country, including in remote areas. In Nepal, DFID is working with the Government to develop a strategic plan guiding investment in the health work force.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department provides to countries to help strengthen their health systems in a long-term and sustainable fashion.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) is preparing a position paper that will set out its approach to supporting countries to strengthen their health systems in a long-term and sustainable fashion. The paper is expected to be published in the first half of 2013. It explains DFID's public health approach, which combines investments that achieve targeted results with investments that strengthen broader health systems. This approach is rooted in the UK Government's commitment to improve the health and well-being of the world's poorest people. Working in tandem with other partners and in support of a prioritised national plan, the UK approach delivers gains that countries can sustain and build on.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department provides to developing countries to help strengthen their health work forces in line with the World Health Organisation Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK adheres to the 2010 World Health Organisation Global Code of Practice and is taking forward the recommendations of the Health Worker Migration Policy Initiative to promote the self-sufficiency, effective development assistance and innovative policies for health worker migration. The Department for International Development works with developing countries such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh to develop their health work forces, improving the numbers, skills and distribution of health professionals. Improving conditions for health workers in their own countries reduces incentives for emigration to other countries.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department is involved in preparations for the Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in 2013.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) is involved in preparations for the Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in 2013. As a member of the Forum Organising Committee, DFID is providing strategic guidance to the forum programme and will help ensure oversight of quality and relevance. DFID sees the forum as an excellent opportunity to better understand human resources for health as critical for universal health coverage and the post-2015 development agenda, and to inspire greater engagement in solutions to the health work force crisis.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures she is taking in support of the World Health Organisation’s initiative to achieve universal health coverage in low-income countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The United Kingdom is providing support to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Department of Health Systems and Financing to enable it to work with more low-income countries that have chosen to speed up their progress towards universal health coverage. The UK is providing both four years of funding and a health financing expert, who is seconded to WHO for two years. In 2011, the first year this enabled WHO to provide direct support to 19 countries.
	At country level the UK is working closely with WHO to ensure that our support to governments on universal health coverage is well co-ordinated. More broadly, the UK is supporting countries to strengthen their health systems (public and private) to ensure that good quality essential health services are provided and are used by everyone. This requires work both to increase the quality and quantity of the services provided and to remove the barriers that prevent people, especially poor people, from using services.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce growing inequalities in health in developing countries and (b) show that UK aid is reaching the poorest and marginalised groups.

Lynne Featherstone: Improving health is at the heart of DFID's international development work and efforts to improve global health are focused on reaching the poorest people and supporting the poorest countries. The UK focuses on helping countries deliver high quality health services accessible to the poorest and most marginalised people, and supported by targeted health interventions that are directly addressing health inequalities.
	DFID partner countries account for a third of the world's population and, together, experience a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and premature death. Over 48% of the global burden of disease and more than 68% of the global burden of all communicable diseases are found in DFID focus countries.
	All projects and programmes must now have a clear monitoring plan that sets the outputs and outcomes that will be delivered. The monitoring and evaluation data is disaggregated wherever possible to effectively track results for girls and women (ie by gender and age) and for the poorest and most vulnerable (ie by income quintile and defined vulnerable groups where relevant).

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to measure the effect of its support for health system strengthening in low-income countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) measures the success of its support for health in terms of specific results and outcomes for poor people (such as reduced burden of disease, improved child survival and better maternal health). Isolating the impact of health systems strengthening investments on health outcomes is complicated because many other factors (social, political and economic) also influence outcomes. There is, however, growing evidence that health systems interventions, such as improved training of health workers or fairer health financing systems, can lead to more use of better quality services, which in turn contributes to better health outcomes. Countries with stronger health systems have been shown to have lower infant, child and maternal mortality rates.
	DFID carries out monitoring and evaluation of its programmes to learn lessons about what works and where in health systems strengthening. DFID is also investing in research to improve the measurement of the effect of systems strengthening on health outcomes, for example by supporting the World Health Organisation to develop indicators and methods to monitor and evaluate progress in health financing and universal health coverage.

Developing Countries: Insurance

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects involving (a) microinsurance and (b) other forms of insurance have been funded on a (i) bilateral and (ii) multilateral basis using funds from the UK's International Climate Fund; and by what means her Department measures the value for money of such projects.

Lynne Featherstone: The International Climate Fund (ICF) is funding a wide range of projects that cover aspects of micro-insurance and other forms of insurance to help poor people manage the risks of climate change. Multilateral investments include projects within the Least Developed Countries Fund and Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience. These projects are financing the design and introduction of index-based micro-insurance products to farmers and livestock keepers in Sudan, Niger and Zambia.
	Bilateral projects include the Africa Risk Capacity programme that is designing a continental index-based weather risk insurance fund. The programme is expected to support 500,000 vulnerable people per year affected by severe drought and to leverage at least $18 million of African public finance per year to help people cope with drought.
	All projects under the ICF are designed and appraised on their value for money, and are monitored to assess which programmes deliver the best value for money. In addition, the Department for International Development is supporting a study on the cost effectiveness of existing investments in risk reduction of micro-insurance.

Developing Countries: Religion

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress she has made in documenting the effect of faith groups through systematic research; and what plans she has for such research in the future.

Lynne Featherstone: The DFID “Faith Partnership Principles Paper” which aimed to strengthen and guide DFID’s future relationship and collaboration with faith groups, recommended that the Faith Working Group should establish a ‘Community of Learning’ to document the effect of faith groups. A coalition of faith groups, academia and civil society organisations has established a “Joint Learning Initiative” to map the work and document the effectiveness of faith groups. DFID has been supportive of this coalition, has met representatives of the Joint Learning Initiative and has arranged a meeting to discuss this and agree the next steps at the end of February.

Developing Countries: Religion

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress she has made in developing and implementing the Faith Partnership Principles; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: Since the launch of DFID's “Faith Partnership Principles Paper” in June 2012, DFID officials have been focussing on agreed priority actions. These have been to:
	Build a common understanding of the role of faith groups in development. Through consultations, DFID has identified a focal country to explore this further. This work will begin in Tanzania over the next few weeks. Further details of the planned work will be made available via the DFID website in March:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Document the impact of faith groups. The Faith Partnership Principles Paper recommended that the Faith Working Group should establish a “Community of Learning.” A coalition of faith groups, academia and civil society organisations established a “Joint Learning Initiative” to map the work and document the effectiveness of faith groups. DFID has supported this, met representatives of the Joint Learning Initiative and has arranged a seminar on 26 February to discuss this in more detail.
	Discuss areas of difference, between DFID and faith groups. DFID held a workshop in November 2012, at which I spoke, for representatives of a wide range of faith groups to discuss the implications of the Faith Partnership Principles. DFID has also hosted open and frank discussions through the Faith Working Group. The next meeting of the Group will take place on 6 March.
	I continue to be extremely supportive of this work and look forward to further developments.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's (a) policy and (b) programme is on (i) micro-hydro power generation and (ii) micro solar power generation.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development supports the expansion of electricity access to people in developing countries, with all the benefits that brings to both individual wellbeing and national prosperity. Currently there are 1.3 billion people without electricity access. In a world of volatile fossil fuel prices and climate change, the expanded use of renewable energies is core to the challenge of sustainably expanding energy supplies.
	Micro-hydro and micro-solar power generation are good examples of the kinds of technologies that will play an important role in achieving the goals of Sustainable Energy for All by 2030, as set out by the UN Secretary-General. Several International Climate Fund programmes incorporate support to such sectors. These include the Results-Based Financing for Low Carbon Energy Access programme announced last year, which will encourage private sector investment in delivering off-grid energy products and services to at least 2.5 million people in poor countries.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK support for immunisation reaches those children who are unimmunised.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK supports basic health service delivery in some of the poorest countries which includes routine immunisation for all children. Some health systems supplement their routine services with periodic campaigns, including most commonly, for polio and measles. Campaigns are designed to reach children who may not have been immunised through routine health services and these can be the poorest and most marginalised. The UK provides support to both polio and measles through global partnership arrangements.
	UK support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI Alliance) means that children have the chance of protection with new and underused vaccines. UK support to GAVI will fund the vaccination of 80 million children and save 1.4 million lives by 2015. For example, GAVI support helps ensure that children are receiving pneumococcal vaccine, to prevent a severe form of pneumonia, in countries where the vaccine would otherwise be unavailable.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much surplus food was thrown away by her Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Alan Duncan: Mitie Facilities Management took over the operation of the staff restaurant facilities in the Department for International Development's joint headquarters in London and East Kilbride in December 2010.
	Mitie have advised that they do not measure their food wastage and are therefore unable to provide figures for these periods. They can confirm however, that any food wastage is minimal, as it is not in their commercial interest in their line of business to have more than 3% food waste where possible.

Mali

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to alleviate and tackle the humanitarian situation in northern Mali.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Mali to ensure that needs are being met effectively and efficiently, and is liaising regularly with the United Nations, non-governmental organisations and others to ensure a comprehensive response.
	Earlier this month, the UK announced a further contribution of £5 million for Mali to add to the £8 million in humanitarian support announced in December, which was itself part of a £15 million package of humanitarian assistance for the wider Sahel region. Our support to Mali will provide urgent humanitarian aid (food, health care and clean water) to some 440,000 people directly affected by the Mali crisis, including those internally displaced.
	Should further unmet needs emerge, the UK stands ready to take further action including lobbying other donor governments to do more.

Nigeria

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department is providing advice to aid workers from the UK who are in or may be going to Nigeria, following the recent killing of nine health workers.

Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides advice for travel to Nigeria on its Travel Advice website at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria
	This is frequently updated in the light of our assessment of potential threats and dangers to British citizens.
	In addition, DFID ensures that all programmes operating in northern Nigeria have their own capacity for managing security and taking appropriate measures to protect their staff. We also continually share information and analysis which could help inform their decisions.

Overseas Aid

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of (a) official development assistance and (b) her Department's budget was spent on (i) direct monitoring and evaluation, (ii) developing evaluation methodologies and (iii) developing outcome metrics in each of the last five years.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) has increased its focus on evaluation and monitoring. Currently, around 140 DFID staff are accredited as evaluation specialists. In 2012-13 a budget of £7.446 million was allocated to the Evaluation Department. Between now and 2015-16 we expect 393 evaluations to take place across DFID.
	However, within DFID's information system it is not possible to disaggregate spending on monitoring and evaluation or developing outcome metrics. It is therefore not possible to obtain this information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2013, Official Report, columns 994-95W, on procurement, if she will publish a list of all contracts by her Department with suppliers and consultants let by country offices with a contract value in excess of £10,000.

Justine Greening: To provide a list of all contracts let by country offices with a contract value in excess of £10,000 would incur disproportionate costs.

Procurement

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2013, Official Report, column 645W, on procurement, whether the Procurement Group award all contracts to private sector suppliers, including those contracts led by country offices.

Justine Greening: The Department for International Development’s Procurement Group is responsible for contracts equal to or in excess of the EU Threshold (£113,000).

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people she appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: In 2010-11 four people were appointed by the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments (OCPA) and two in 2011-12.
	The OCPA collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group. OCPA does not collect information regarding candidates' religion.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.

Public Expenditure

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2013, Official Report, columns 644-45W, on consultants, what proportion of her Department’s budget is spent via (a) non-governmental organisations, (b) multilateral organisations and (c) private consultants.

Justine Greening: A detailed breakdown of how the Department for International Development (DFID) spends its budget is available on the DFID website within the annual report at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Site-search/?q=annual+report
	This report is available for the last full financial year (2011-12).

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what regulations her Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Alan Duncan: None.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in her Department on an annual basis.

Alan Duncan: Figures for December 2012 show that staff on average have taken 4.3 days absence in the preceding 12 months, an improvement on the December 2011 figure of 4.7 days, and the December 2010 figure of 5.2 days.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to reduce sickness absence in her Department.

Alan Duncan: DFID monitors and provides targeted support, where appropriate, to its managers in dealing with staff’s sickness absence. We also work with employees absent due to ill-health, to ensure they receive appropriate advice and support in order to minimize any absence.
	Figures for December 2012 show that staff on average had taken 4.3 days absence in the preceding 12 months, an improvement on the December 2011 figure of 4.7 days, and the December 2010 figure of 5.2 days.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff are based in each property used by her Department.

Alan Duncan: DFID currently has 726 Home Civil Service (HCS) staff in post based in its London Office, plus 553 HCS staff in post based in its office in East Kilbride, near Glasgow. DFID also has 512 HCS and 918 Staff Appointed in Country working overseas, based in 53 countries. We do not publish numbers of staff in specific locations overseas, as to do so may represent a risk to such staff, especially those serving in fragile states or hostile environments.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate her Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Alan Duncan: DFID does not classify staff numbers by minimum statutory obligations. We carry out work force planning exercises and have gathered forecasts of work force numbers from across the organisation. These projections indicate that during the 2014-15 financial year we will have 1,846 home civil service (HCS) posts, plus 1,010 staff appointed in country (SAIC) posts (total 2,856 posts).

Syria

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what safeguards are in place to prevent UK aid to tackle the humanitarian situation in Syria being used by the Syrian state.

Alan Duncan: DFID works through the UN and international non-governmental organisations to which our usual robust monitoring processes apply. All our aid is delivered in accordance with humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and on the basis of need.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £3,140,519 in 2010-11 and £2,423,157 in 2011-12 on training and education for civil servants.
	These figures represent payments to training providers for staff training, further education and professional development for DFID staff, including staff appointed in country.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of her Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Alan Duncan: None.

Zambia

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact on the effectiveness of bilateral and multilateral aid to Zambia of the avoidance by UK companies of their tax liabilities in that country.

Justine Greening: DFID has a long history of support to the Zambian Revenue Authority (ZRA) to increase tax revenue and modernise tax processes. British support since 1994 has helped Zambia to double its tax to GDP ratio from only 10% in the early 1990s to over 21% in 2012. This support will continue over the next three years.
	Tackling tax avoidance and illicit flows in developing countries is one of the coalition Government’s top priorities for this year’s UK presidency of the G8.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not record alcohol related absence as a separate category of absence, and the Department does not have an alcohol abuse policy. Any instance of absence found to be connected to alcohol abuse would be confidentially managed and the individual supported as part of the relevant procedures, for example, attendance and/or performance management.
	The misconduct procedure within the Department's Discipline policy should be used where an employee is found to be under the influence of alcohol on official premises.
	Occupational health advice is available as part of the Department’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy and guidance on referrals to the Occupational Health provider is published to staff on the Department's intranet. Line managers can consider a referral where they have concerns about the effects of a health problem on an employee's performance or attendance and work and medical advice can help determine the most appropriate course of action or support. A copy of the Occupational Health procedure will be deposited in the Libraries of the House.

British Nuclear Fuels

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much grant has been provided from the public purse to British Nuclear Fuels Limited in each year of its operation.

John Hayes: British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) was a self-financing public corporation. They did not receive any grant from the public purse.
	BNFL's assets and liabilities were transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in 2005.
	A shell company still exists in the name of BNFL, which is currently in the process of being wound up.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

Gregory Barker: The occupation costs for financial year 2011-12 for each property used by DECC are as follows:
	
		
			     £ 
			  3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A2AW 55 Whitehall, London SW1A 2EH Atholl House, 86-88 Guild street Aberdeen AB116AR 1 Victoria street, London SW1H 0ET(1) 
			 Rent 4,314,196 (2)1 (3)319,515 — 
			 Rates 1,308,357 156,860 111,003 — 
			 Other costs(4) 1,152,002 202,257 252,722 — 
			 Total 6,774,555 359,118 683,240 582,000 
			 (1) Since I February 201 2, DECC have occupied space in 1 Victoria street (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) on a short-term basis. DECC are not provided breakdown of occupation costs by type for this space. (2) Peppercorn rent—owned by Crown Estate. (3) Includes rent and rates for car park. (4 )Other costs cover core FM (including M&E repair and maintenance, cleaning, security) and utilities.

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of domestic premises which have carbon monoxide alarms fitted.

Gregory Barker: No such estimate has been made.

Centrica

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Centrica on its decision to forfeit its 20 per cent option on four planned nuclear plants.

John Hayes: Government meets regularly with companies involved in the development of new nuclear power stations to discuss progress and the UK's nuclear policy. Centrica's decision to withdraw reflects the company's investment priorities and is not a reflection on UK Government policy.

Centrica

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of Centrica's decision to forfeit its 20 per cent option on four planned nuclear plants.

John Hayes: This Government is determined to make the UK a leading destination for investment in new nuclear by putting in place a framework to make this possible. Centrica's decision to withdraw reflects the company's investment priorities and is not a reflection on UK Government policy. We are continuing to see a high level of interest in the UK nuclear market, including from a diverse range of potential new entrants. We welcome EDF Energy's continued commitment to taking forward the Hinkley Point C project. Furthermore, the recent purchase of Horizon Nuclear Power by Hitachi is clear evidence of the attractiveness of the new nuclear market in the UK.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who his Department's cycling champion is.

Gregory Barker: DECC does not have a cycling champion.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has signed up to a Cycle to Work scheme with Cyclescheme Ltd. To date, 70 members of staff have registered with this scheme to purchase a cycle through this facility in order to get to work.
	DECC provides a range of facilities to encourage and support staff who cycle to work on all of its sites. These include bike racks, changing rooms, lockers, drying cabinets and showers.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has signed up to the Government's Cycle to Work scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has signed up to a Cycle to Work scheme with Cyclescheme Ltd. To date, 70 members of staff have registered with this scheme to purchase a cycle through this facility in order to get to work.

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to publish the latest edition of Estimated Impacts of Energy and Climate Change Policies.

John Hayes: DECC's assessment of the impacts of energy and climate change policies on gas and electricity prices and bills is being updated to reflect recent developments including the 23 November announcement of the HMT Levy Control Framework for low carbon electricity up to 2020-21, and will be published shortly.

Electricity: EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to transpose Article 37, section 1(i) and (j) of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC into UK law.

John Hayes: Article 37 (i) and (j) of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity were transposed by Regulation 31 of the Electricity and Gas (Internal Markets) Regulations 2011, which amends section 47 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Electricity: EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to transpose Article 40 of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC into UK law.

John Hayes: Article 40 of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity was transposed by Part 4 of Schedule 8 to the Electricity and Gas (Internal Markets) Regulations 2011, which introduces new conditions 5.5 to 5.8 in the electricity supply licence standard conditions.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment his Department has made of the levels of transparency in the wholesale energy market.

John Hayes: Transparency is an important component of a well functioning market. It provides operational and investment signals and helps build consumer trust. Recent market-led developments have contributed to greater transparency. Trading on day-ahead exchanges represented 40% of total GB demand in the month of January—this represents a two-fold year on year increase in volumes. Still there is more that can be done especially to increase transparency in the forward markets.
	The independent regulator is responsible for market functioning and improved liquidity is important in driving greater transparency. Ofgem is currently taking forward proposals to improve liquidity in the wholesale market and has stated it expects to make a decision on these reforms before the summer of 2013. We want to see swift and ambitious action from the regulator.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the level of competition in the wholesale energy market.

John Hayes: There are important issues that need to be addressed in order to further improve competition and protect consumers. Through the Energy Bill, we will ensure that consumers are on the cheapest tariff offered by their supplier that meets their preferences. We are also seeking backstop powers in the Energy Bill to allow the Government to act to improve liquidity in the wholesale electricity market if industry and Ofgem actions do not go far enough. These steps will strengthen competition in the marketplace and give consumers the opportunity to reduce their energy costs.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of liquidity in the wholesale energy market.

John Hayes: Liquidity in the Great British wholesale energy market remains low in comparison to a number of other European markets, although there have been some improvements in near-term markets thanks to voluntary commitments from industry to trade greater volumes on day-ahead platforms.
	However, the lack of liquidity in forward markets remains a problem, with a lack of robust prices along the trading curve and limited availability of products in the forward market. This continues to present a barrier to entry for independent supply and generation businesses.
	Ofgem is currently consulting on proposals to increase liquidity and has stated it now has a firm preference for intervention. We expect to see a decision from Ofgem before the summer. The Government is seeking powers in the Energy Bill to intervene if that is necessary.

Energy: EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the implementation of EU Regulation 1227/2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to transpose EU Regulation 1227/2011, on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency into UK law.

John Hayes: The UK has taken a leading role in the development of the EU regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT) and aims to be one of the first member states to implement REMIT in full.
	The core provisions of REMIT that need to be implemented are investigatory and enforcement powers for national regulatory authorities, including a framework for penalties. The UK intends to have these powers in place by 28 June deadline.
	The Government will update Parliament on the UK’s regime when the regulations have been made.

EU Emissions Trading System

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the risk of carbon leakage if he does not provide the maximum level of compensation allowable to energy intensive industries under Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: The Government is keen to ensure that UK industry is competitive and we continue to monitor and evaluate the risk of carbon leakage. Published research(1) suggests that the risk of carbon leakage to outside the EU is limited to a small number of sectors. The Department has recently commissioned a research project that will report later this year(2).
	The best way to address carbon leakage is a legally binding international climate agreement. In the interim, under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) industrial sectors at significant risk of carbon leakage receive an increased allocation of free allowances. Alongside this member states may choose to compensate a defined list of sectors deemed to be at significant risk of carbon leakage as a result of EU ETS related increases in electricity prices.
	The European Commission published state aid guidelines last summer, which provided a clear methodology and formula for maximum levels of compensation for this purpose. The Government recently published a consultation on our proposals for the compensation package for energy intensive industries which closed in December. We are currently analysing responses and are exploring issues further, including with stakeholders.
	(1 )Climate Strategies (UK) Reports (2007-2009) on: Tackling Leakage in a world of unequal carbon prices:
	http://www.climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/32.html
	Hourcade et al (2001) Differentiation and Dynamics of EU ETS Industrial Competitiveness Impacts, Climate Strategies:
	http://climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/6/37.html
	Oko-Institut (Germany), Fraunhofer ISI, DIW (September 2008) Impacts of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the industrial competitiveness in Germany:
	http://www.umweltdaten.de/publikationen/fpdf-l/3625.pdf
	DECC commissioned Cambridge Econometrics report 2010:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47920/471-carbon-leakage-ce-report.pdf
	(2) https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=826481

EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many investigations Ofgem has undertaken under the provisions of article 40 of the electricity directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing directive 2003/54/EC in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many investigations Ofgem has undertaken under the provisions of article 44 of the gas directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing directive 2003/55/EC in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many requests for data Ofgem has made under article 40 of the electricity directive 2009/72/EC on common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing directive 2003/54/EC in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many requests for data Ofgem has made under article 44 of the gas directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing directive 2003/55/EC in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. I have asked the chief executive of Ofgem to write to the right hon. Member and we will place a copy of his letter in the Libraries of the House.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Gregory Barker: DECC fully occupies two main sites in London (3 Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall) and catering is provided by a third party contractor. The Department does not hold figures on how much surplus food is thrown away by its catering contractor but does collate data on food waste collections. This includes, for example plate waste and therefore the data is not just surplus food.
	Food waste data from these two sites is as follows and is based on our reporting year which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
	
		
			  Tonnes 
			 2010-11 8.77 
			 2011-12 8.57 
			 2012-13 (1)— 
			 (1) Data is not yet available 
		
	
	DECC also occupies space in Atholl House, Aberdeen, where there is no catering provision and space in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) building in London (1 Victoria Street) but is a minor occupier and has no responsibilities for the services in that building.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which hon. Members have been invited by his Department to be Green Deal parliamentary ambassadors; and which have (a) accepted and (b) declined that invitation.

Gregory Barker: Hon. Members who chaired or participated in the Green Deal policy development working groups and those who played a significant role in developing the Green Deal from a concept to a fully-fledged programme were invited to become parliamentary ambassadors for the Green Deal.
	The hon. Members for Winchester (Steve Brine), East Londonderry (Mr Campbell), Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Oliver Colvile), Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin), Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith), Ipswich (Ben Gummer), Cheltenham (Martin Horwood), Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton), Devizes (Claire Perry), Worcester (Mr Walker), the noble Lord Lindsay, the noble Baroness Parminter and the noble Lord Teverson have so far accepted the invitation. The hon. Members for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Gordon Henderson), East Hampshire (Damian Hinds), Bracknell (Dr Lee), and the noble Lord Best declined the invitation. Seventeen members have not so far responded.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households which have been prevented from taking out a Green Deal package because they have failed a credit check.

Gregory Barker: It is for lenders, including those providing Green Deal finance, to set their own credit policies. It is our understanding that The Green Deal Finance Company have set their credit scoring requirements low enough to ensure that Green Deal finance is accessible to over 80% of the population.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the funding of his Department's Green Deal communications campaign has been spent by (a) Freud PR, (b) the St Ives Group and (c) Carrot PR on each organisation's administration costs.

Gregory Barker: The agencies supporting DECC on the Green Deal (Freud Communications, St Luke's and CARAT) were procured by DECC by competition under the Government Procurement Service's frameworks to provide specified services. Each agency provided costs for delivery of the services but do not detail administration costs separately.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which publications will run Green Deal advertisements as part of his Department's Green Deal communications campaign.

Gregory Barker: In the period 29 January to 17 February, Green Deal advertisements will have appeared in the following titles:
	Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Sun on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, People, Daily Star Sunday, Daily Express, Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Mail on Sunday, Times, Independent, Independent “I”, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times, Independent on Sunday, Observer, Sunday Telegraph, Metro, Evening Standard, Daily Record, Aberdeen Press & Journal, Glasgow Evening Times, Dundee Courier, Edinburgh Evening News, South Wales Echo, South Wales Evening Post, Wales on Sunday, Western Mail, Daily Post, South Wales Argus, Golwg(1).
	(1) Publication date tbc.

Green Deal Scheme

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements he has made with local authorities to allow funding for Green Deal pilot projects that were not spent in the financial year 2012-13 to be carried over into the next financial year.

Gregory Barker: All the Green Deal pilot project work is due to end on 31 March 2013. However, in recognition of delivery issues, for example inclement weather conditions, we have offered all of the eight DECC funded core cities pilots (including Bristol) flexibility to carry over 5% of their total funding allocation up to 31 May 2013.

ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) expected cost is for each information technology project over £1 million undertaken by his Department and its executive agencies since 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: We have one information technology project over £1 million that is being, or has been, undertaken by the Department since 2010. The details are as follows:
	(a) Start date August 2011;
	(b) Original planned completion date of March 2014;
	(c) Expected completion date of March 2014;
	(d) Planned cost £46 million;
	(e) Expected cost £41 million.

Inspections

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 241W, on inspections, what other priority work the Inspector has been occupied with that has caused a delay of about seven months.

Gregory Barker: The priority work undertaken by the Inspector during this time has included conducting one public inquiry and one hearing for new 132kV overhead line applications, writing his reports and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), and ensuring gas and electricity supply resilience before and during the London 2012 Olympics period.

Natural Gas: EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to transpose Article 41, section 1(i) and (j) of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC into UK law.

John Hayes: Article 41, section l(i) and (j) of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas were transposed by Regulation 30 of the Electricity and Gas (Internal Markets) Regulations 2011, which amends section 34 of the Gas Act 1986.

Natural Gas: EU Law

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to transpose Article 44 of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC into UK law.

John Hayes: Article 44 of the Gas Directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in natural gas was transposed by Part 3 of Schedule 7 to the Electricity and Gas (Internal Markets) Regulations 2011, which introduces new conditions 5.5 to 5.8 in the gas supply licence standard conditions.

Natural Gas: Price Fixing

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with (a) Ofgem and (b) the Financial Services Authority on price fixing in the gas market.

John Hayes: The Department has been in regular contact with Ofgem and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) since being informed in November of allegations of manipulation of the UK gas market. Ofgem is continuing its analysis—which includes close co-operation with FSA—with high priority. This analysis is being conducted independently of Government in accordance with the regulator’s established procedures.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) research and development funding and (b) other state support for nuclear fission was provided by his Department in each year since 2005, broken down by (i) technology and (ii) support scheme.

John Hayes: The latest confirmed information on UK research and development spend on nuclear fission is available for the period 2008 until 2010 and is broken down as follows: £4.254 million for 2008, £16.092 million for 2009 and £17.554 million for 2010. Note that the data are not broken down by Department or scheme as this level of detail is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, there are a number of staff across Whitehall and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to ensure the right skills are available to operate and decommission existing nuclear power plants and to ensure we can maximise UK economic benefit from any future new build programme.

Ofgem

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what new monitoring duties have been placed on Ofgem since 2010; and what new information gathering powers have been given to Ofgem in that period.

John Hayes: Under the Gas and Electricity (Internal Markets) Regulations 2011, Ofgem was given new monitoring duties and information gathering powers with respect to ensuring that transmission and distribution system operators are effectively unbundled or separated from generation, production and supply interests.
	The Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011 set out the detailed powers and duties the Authority has in relation to scheme verification, monitoring and compliance.
	The Feed In Tariffs Order 2010 (now updated as the Feed In Tariffs Order 2012) provides Ofgem with powers to administer the GB Feed-In Tariff Scheme. Ofgem is required to monitor compliance with the scheme and has information seeking powers.
	The Renewable Heat Incentive Regulations 2011 (as amended) set out the information gathering powers and monitoring duties that Ofgem has as the RHI scheme administrator. Ofgem is required to monitor compliance with the scheme and has information seeking powers.
	The Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011 imposed sustainability requirements for bioliquids and additional reporting requirements for solid biomass, biogas and bioliquids, which Ofgem must be satisfied are met in order to issue renewables obligation certificates.
	Through the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) Order 2012, DECC have specified that obligated energy suppliers must notify Ofgem (as the scheme Administrator) of a completed energy efficiency measure installed under the scheme. Ofgem in turn is obliged to report to the Secretary of State on a monthly basis. Additionally, through the ECO Order a supplier must provide to the Administrator (Ofgem) such information as the Administrator may require relating to the cost to the supplier of achieving its obligations under the Order.

Ofgem

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time staff are employed at Ofgem for the purposes of (a) monitoring the level of transparency, including of wholesale prices, and ensuring compliance of electricity undertakings with transparency obligations and (b) monitoring the level and effectiveness of market opening and competition at wholesale and retail levels.

John Hayes: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. I have asked the chief executive of Ofgem to write to the hon. Member and we will place a copy of his letter in the Libraries of the House.

Power Failures: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in Brigg and Goole constituency experienced electricity supply failure in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to date; and what steps were taken to restore supply in each case.

John Hayes: DECC collects data for supply interruptions that are reportable under the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (ESQCR) 2002. Electricity transmission and distribution companies have a statutory duty to report certain interruptions to supply under regulation 32 of the ESQCR, as follows:
	Interruptions of 20 MW or more for three minutes or longer.
	Interruptions of 5 MW or more for one hour or longer.
	Interruptions of 5,000 consumers or more for one hour or longer.
	It is not possible to determine households affected in the Brigg and Goole constituency from the data. My officials can provide further information if details of specific incidents are provided.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: In 2010-11, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change made two new public appointments to DECC's public bodies, both were regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). The successful applicants were declared as being neither black, Hindu, Muslim, Chinese, nor from an ethnic minority.
	In 2011-12, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change made five new regulated public appointments. Of these five, three declared themselves as neither black, Hindu, Muslim, Chinese nor from an ethnic minority, and two did not declare their ethnic background.
	DECC's public appointments are made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. The overriding principle of the OCPA Code is that selection must be on merit and from a strong and diverse field of candidates. My Department is committed to ensuring that the advertising process and job specifications for public appointment vacancies encourage a fully representative field.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Gregory Barker: The information requested is not held centrally and is currently being compiled. I will write to the hon. Member as soon the information is available and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what the anticipated cost is of each.

Gregory Barker: The information requested is not held in the required format and is currently being compiled. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon the information is available and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Renewable Heat Incentive on the price of wood.

John Hayes: DECC uses a range of assumptions for prices of biomass feedstocks given the range of current prices and uncertainty over future trends. Prices assumed in the heat sector were published alongside the Renewable Heat Incentive Impact Assessment in 2011:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48044/1385-analytical-annex-rhi-ia.pdf
	The Government's Bioenergy Strategy, published in April 2012 includes analysis of the potential areas where biomass for heating could make a cost effective contribution in a carbon constrained world:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48337/5142-bioenergy-strategy-.pdf
	It concludes that bioenergy is expected to play an important but relatively marginal role in the heat sector (ie its contribution focusing on filling the energy needs of vital segments that could be hard to decarbonise in other ways, such as high temperature industrial processes). This suggests that biomass heat deployment is unlikely to be the driving force for changes in market prices.
	The full potential impact of the RHI on the demand and prices for biomass feedstocks is very difficult to estimate. Given the limited expected impact of the RHI on the demand for these products for heat compared to other energy uses it is expected that RHI will not be the driving force for changes in market prices, for further information see the RHI Impact Assessment (Annex 6):
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48241/3775-renewable-heat-incentive-impact-assessment-dec-20.pdf
	DECC recently consulted on proposals for biomass sustainability criteria for biomass installations supported under the RHI. In the impact assessment of those proposals, we requested any relevant evidence available be submitted as part of responses to consultation:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachement_data/file/43167/5885-ia-biomass-rhi-cons.pdf
	We aim to publish a response to this consultation shortly.

Road Haulage Forum

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  when he last met the Road Haulage Forum; and who attended that meeting;
	(2)  when he met the Road Haulage Forum in the last year; and who attended each such meeting.

Gregory Barker: The Department publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change&publication_type=transparency-data

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis.

Gregory Barker: In the annual period ending 31 December 2012, departmental records show that a total of 3,371 days were recorded as paid sickness leave.
	This equates to 2.7 average working days Lost per staff year.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has taken a wide range of steps to reduce sickness absence, including promoting good health to the workforce though various health interventions and health information campaigns.
	DECC has one of the lowest sickness absence rates in Whitehall and over the past 12 months our average working days lost has reduced from 4.7 to 2.7 per year.
	Some examples of promoting good health include:
	Wellbeing Days where a variety of health topics are covered, such as 'Back Awareness' and 'Healthy Eating and Nutritional advice'
	Self service health kiosk where staff gain key health metrics, including weight, body mass index, body fat content, heart rate, blood pressure. Results from the kiosk have allowed previously unknown potential health concerns to be followed up by staff with their GP and review their progress on known concerns
	Free of charge flu vaccinations for staff to help reduce the likelihood of this cause of absence
	E-learning training courses on Stress Awareness and on correct use of Display Screen Equipment.
	Information is regularly provided on various health related topics including how to lower the risk of contracting the Norovirus and Department of Health campaigns such as 'Quit Kit' for stopping smoking.
	Line Managers hold back to work interviews with staff returning from sickness absence. The interview will be used to discuss any necessary interventions such as a medical referral, adjustments to work station, work pattern, duties etc. to ensure their return is successful.

Solar Power: Manufacturing Industries

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether his Department has assessed the potential effect of the EU Commission investigation into anti-dumping complaints against China on employment in the UK solar photovoltaic installation industry;
	(2)  what representations the Government has made to the EU Commission on its solar PV anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The UK Government examines each anti-dumping and anti-subsidy case on its merits, based on evidence presented by the Commission and representations received from interested parties, including producers, importers, retailers and consumers.
	We submitted a number of technical questions to the Commission before it opened its investigations. The investigations are ongoing, and we will assess the Commission’s proposals very carefully (once we receive them).
	We will continue to engage with all interested parties as the investigations continue.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created in October 2008. Therefore there is no data prior to that date.
	The data in the following table shows the number of civil servants, by grade, working in DECC at 31 March for each year.
	
		
			 Grade 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 AA — 2 1 — 
			 AO — 68.47 72.56 75.6 
			 EO — 111.39 108.49 110.83 
			 HEO — 195.2 231.39 235.57 
			 Faststream — 51.1 66.03 69 
			 SEO — 119.57 139.57 161.13 
			 Grade 7 — 265.7 311.23 367.94 
			 Grade 6 — 128.77 144.71 170.74 
			 SCSPB1 — 60.29 63 68.12 
			 SCSPB2 — 15.33 20.08 23.08 
			 SCSPB3 — 3 3 3 
			 Permanent Secretary — 1 1 1 
			 Total 768.1 1021.82 1162.06 1286.01 
		
	
	The data above shows staff in full time equivalent (fte).
	The total number of staff shown for 2009 is the average number of staff used throughout the period as shown in the Department's Annual Report and Resource Account 2008-09 as a detailed grade breakdown of staff in March 2009 is not held.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has staff based in four locations. The following table shows where they are located:
	
		
			 Location Numbers of staff (full-time equivalent) 
			 3 Whitehall Place, London 1,185.54 
			 55 Whitehall, London 202.4 
			 1 Victoria Street, London 112.47 
			 Atholl House, Aberdeen 94.34 
			 Total 1,594.78 
		
	
	The table gives the position as at 31 January 2013 and refers to the total number of people working on that site including civil servants and contingent workers.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department's expenditure on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 is £1.03 million and (b) in 2011-12 £2.16 million.

Travel

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published in an annual written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Transport, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses.
	A summary of the information for DECC is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2009-10 303,129.83 
			 2010-11 131,272.97 
			 2011-12 36.687.79 
		
	
	Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
	
		
			 Other car services 
			  £ 
			 2009-10 303.74 
			 2010-11 20,999.89 
			 2011-12 31,786.60 
			 2012-13 (1)8,140.97 
			 (1) To date.

Video Recordings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what costs are borne by his Department arising from the production, filming and casting of the video entitled Arnold Schwarzenegger's Message for DECC's Energy Efficiency Mission; and by what category of expenditure.

Gregory Barker: The video message delivered by Governor Schwarzenegger in support of the DECC Energy Efficiency Strategy, which was shown at the DECC Energy Efficiency Mission Launch, was filmed at the Vienna R20 conference by a film crew working at the conference. The production, filming and casting of the video was done at no cost to DECC or the UK taxpayer.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely spend across suppliers for (a) core group and (b) broader group households for (i) Year two, (ii) Year three and (iii) Year four of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Gregory Barker: Total spending under the Warm Home Discount across all suppliers is expected to be £288 million in year two (2012-13), £300 million in year three (2013-14) and £310 million in year four (2014-15).
	Core group and non-core spending for each supplier is based on each supplier's share of domestic customers as at 31 December prior to each scheme year. Spending by suppliers is subsequently reported in Ofgem's annual reports published in autumn following the conclusion of each scheme year. Figures for spending by individual suppliers for years two to four of the scheme are not currently available.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) core group and (b) broader group households will receive rebates for (i) Year two, (ii) Year three and (iii) Year four of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Gregory Barker: In year two, we estimate that around 1.16 million core group and 360,000 broader group rebates of £130 will be provided. The final numbers for year two will be published in Ofgem's annual report in autumn 2013.
	On 14 February, I notified Ofgem of the non-core spending obligation for year three of the scheme. The non-core spending obligation, which includes the broader group, is £100 million, based on estimated core group spending of £200 million. Our figures suggest that in year three the scheme will provide around 1.48 million core group and at least 348,000 broader group rebates of £135.
	We included an estimate of spending for year four in the original scheme impact assessment. This suggested that around 1.36 million core group and 643,000 broader group rebates of £140 would be provided in that year. However, the scale of year three core group spending indicates that there may be higher spending on the core group in year four than originally estimated, with a corresponding reduction in non-core spending.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) core group and (b) broader group households receiving rebates from the Warm Home Discount scheme are also beneficiaries of discounted tariffs or legacy rebates as part of the legacy spending transitional arrangements of the voluntary agreement post March 2011.

Gregory Barker: The energy suppliers participating in the Warm Home Discount scheme are not required to provide data on the number of customers who benefit both from core or broader group rebates and from legacy spending. Legacy spending in year one of the scheme was £102.9 million. This is due to fall in each year of the scheme with no legacy spending being permitted in year four. The fall in legacy spending will be offset by a rise in core group spending which provides more certain, more uniform and better targeted support to customers in or at risk of fuel poverty.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households (a) received and (b) are estimated to receive rebates under the (i) core group and (ii) broader group elements of the Warm Home Discount scheme in (A) year one and (B) year two of the scheme.

Gregory Barker: In year one of the scheme, rebates under the warm home discount were worth £120. 701,746 electricity accounts were provided with a core group rebate and 234,297 with a broader group rebate. In year two, rebates are worth £130. We estimate that around 1.16 million core group and 360,000 broader group rebates will be provided. The final numbers for year two will be published in Ofgem’s annual report in autumn 2013.

Wind Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the amount of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind power generated in each (i) region, (ii) county in England and (iii) local authority in England.

John Hayes: The following table shows the amount of electricity generated from wind power, by English region, in 2011. For reasons of disclosure, this cannot be disaggregated by onshore and offshore wind; for the same reason, DECC does not produce estimates of generation by English county or local authority.
	
		
			 Generation in 2011 
			 English region GWh 
			 East Midlands 920.4 
			 East 1,422.7 
			 North East 323.1 
			 North West 1,723.9 
			 London 7.9 
			 South East 1,270.2 
			 South West 247.7 
			 West Midlands 0.6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 241.5 
			 Total 6,158.1 
			 Source: “Renewable electricity in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2011”, Energy Trends September 2012, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-electricity-in-scotland-wales-northern-ireland-and-the-regions-of-england-in-2011

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities follow best practice guidelines on noise assessments for wind turbine applications.

John Hayes: The National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy (ENS 3) recommends that local authorities and others should use the method of assessing noise impacts from a wind farm as described in ‘ETSU-R-97’. DECC has asked the Institute of Acoustics to develop good practice guidance to supplement ETSU-R-97, and we expect this to be published in May.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not have any staff employed in (a) Hull or (b) East Yorkshire.

HEALTH

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that doctors and licensed abortion clinics do not intentionally misreport the reasons for which abortions are performed.

Anna Soubry: An abortion may only take place on grounds under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended. Anyone operating outside the Act is committing a criminal offence and will be reported to the appropriate authorities. Ultimately, it is for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to prosecute individuals and for the courts to determine whether there has been a breach of the law on abortion.
	In February 2012, the Chief Medical Officer wrote to everyone involved in providing and commissioning treatment for the termination of pregnancy about the need to comply fully with all the requirements of the Abortion Act.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department or the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists require an impartial translator to be present when doctors are consulted in relation to abortions by women who do not have a good command of English; and whether it is a requirement that any such consultations be undertaken without family members being present so as to avoid any coercion in respect of abortion of girls or disabled babies.

Anna Soubry: In their guidance ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ (November 2011), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends that “Services should be culturally sensitive and professional interpreters should be available if required” and that “while women may choose to use family or friends as interpreters, in gaining consent to a procedure the provider needs to be absolutely certain that the woman is fully consenting. This can be guaranteed only if an independent professional interpretation services is used.”
	The guideline also states that services should make sure that “written, objective, evidence-guided information is available for women considering abortion to take away before the procedure. Information should be available in a variety of languages and formats.” It also says that services should identify issues which make women particularly vulnerable including violence or abuse, in particular girls under the age of 16 should be given “the chance to disclose during a private moment when a parent or adult is not present”. In practice, most abortion services have a policy that all women should be seen on their own at some stage, without a partner or family member present, to ensure there is no coercion or other issue affecting the decision-making process.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it would be a decision for his Department or for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to require testing of aborted babies to ascertain (a) their gender and (b) the nature of any disability which they had.

Anna Soubry: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists produced a report in June 2010 ‘Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality in England, Scotland and Wales’. This report is intended to help doctors and other health professionals, within the law, to support women and their families when a fetal abnormality is diagnosed. It is designed to be explanatory rather than prescriptive. The report highlights that, following a termination performed for a fetal abnormality, pathological examination of the fetus may be undertaken in addition to that undertaken pre-procedure as part of diagnostic testing. This might be at the request of the clinician, with parental consent, or the parents and is to ascertain the cause of the disability. Experience from fetal diagnosis is leading to a better understanding of the natural history of many fetal disorders and has improved prognostic information for parents in relation to future pregnancies.
	We do not support the introduction of reporting the gender of aborted fetuses as we consider that this would have an effect not only on the woman in terms of causing undue distress but also on the medical profession.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the four hour waiting target was missed at each London accident and emergency department in quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2012-13.

Anna Soubry: The information is not available in the format requested. Data is collected as a percentage of patients seen at trust level.
	The following table gives an average percentage by quarter in 2012-13 for the trusts that did not meet the 95% standard.
	
		
			 Percentage of patients waiting less than four hours in NHS London trusts, 2012-13 
			  Percentage of patients seen in less than four hours (all accident and emergency departments) in 2012-13 
			 Organisation name Q1 Q2 Q3 
			 Number of Trusts missing the 95% standard 4 1 6 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 88.4 92.0 88.9 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 94.3 95.0 96.1 
			 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 94.1 96.9 94.5 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 95.9 96.1 93.8 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 97.0 97.0 93.4 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 96.6 96.7 94.7 
			 The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 97.3 98.0 96.3 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 94.7 95.4 95.3 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 95.8 96.7 94.1 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 97.6 98.3 97.5 
			 Source: Department of Health Unify2 Data Collection WSitAE.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times ambulances waited more than 15 minutes to discharge their patients at accident and emergency departments at each of the hospitals in London in 2012.

Anna Soubry: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data on ambulance delays are collected as part of the Department’s winter pressures reporting at trust level.
	Ambulance handover delays are counted when they are over 30 minutes. The latest round of winter reporting began on 6 November 2012 and will continue to run through to the end of February 2013. The latest published data available is to week ending 3 February 2013 and is shown in the following table.
	Winterwatch, (the Department’s dedicated website tool) provides regular weekly updates about how the NHS is coping with the increased demands on its services during the winter months. Data is collected on a rapid and daily turn-round basis from the NHS. The speed of the collection only permits minimal validation to be undertaken, but is considered ‘fit-for-purpose’.
	
		
			 Delays of over 30 minutes between ambulance arrival at accident and emergency and handover to accident and emergency staff 
			 Organisation name Total delays over 30 minutes, 6 November 2012 to 3 February 2013 
			 Barts Health NHS Trust 80 
			 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 149 
			 The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 20 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 6 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 439 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 30 
			 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 159 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 500 
			 St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust 0 
			 King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Royal Brampton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 711 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 127 
			 Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 182 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 171 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 29 
			 Source: Department of Health Unify2 Data Collection WSitAE.

Cancer

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the relationship between (a) cancer patient experience, (b) clinical effectiveness and (c) improvements in outcomes.

Anna Soubry: Patient experience, and making the national health service more responsive to patients’ needs, is a key Government priority. We have committed to this in the NHS Mandate, the NHS Constitution and the NHS Outcomes Framework.
	The Improving Outcomes in Cancer guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets out best practice treatment and support for patients in the provision of care for a range of cancer types.
	To support a positive experience of care, the guidance highlights the importance of effective communication, providing good quality information to patients and supporting access to clinical nurse specialists (CNS). Good communication can reduce anxiety and give patients greater confidence, and discussions can increase the chance that each patient receives the treatment that is most appropriate for them.
	The role of CNS is especially important in facilitating continuing good communication; for example, contact with a trained and experienced breast care nurse can reduce patients’ anxiety, depression and physical symptoms. The guidance recommends that cancer patients should have the name and contact number for a particular nurse, and should, whenever possible, see and speak to the same nurse.
	We have said that the NICE Improving Outcomes Guidance will continue to be a feature of all commissioned cancer services from April 2013.
	Through the 2010 and 2011-12 National Cancer Patient Experience Surveys, we have continued to monitor patients’ experience of NHS cancer care. Questions within the surveys have covered important issues such as access to CNS’, patient information and effective communication, as well as a range of other areas key to the delivery of high quality cancer care and improved outcomes.

Care Quality Commission: Redundancy Pay

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 19 December 2011, Official Report, column 977W, on Care Quality Commission pay, how many special severance payments have been notified to HM Treasury by the Care Quality Commission since December 2011; and what the value is of each such payment.

Norman Lamb: The Department has been informed by the Care Quality Commission that no special severance payments were made in the time frame given.

Community Care

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether cost savings to the NHS resulting from the introduction of supervised community treatment under the Mental Health Act 2007 are on course to reach the level of £34 million per annum estimated in the regulatory impact assessment of that legislation.

Norman Lamb: The information requested is not available. The report of the Oxford Community Treatment Order Evaluation Trial (OCTET), due later this year, may provide information on the cost-effectiveness of Community Treatment Orders.

Dental Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to collect data on the number of people who register with an NHS dentist each year.

Daniel Poulter: This data is not held in the format requested.
	Under the existing dental contract, patients do not register to receive national health service dental care. Access to dentistry is currently measured through the number of patients seen by an NHS dentist over a 24-month period. This information is published quarterly by the NHS Information Centre. The latest data covers the period ending 31 December 2012 and shows access to NHS dental services has increased by over 1.25 million since May 2010. It can be accessed at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB10217

Dental Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on the development of a new NHS dentistry contract; and whether he has received feedback from clinical groups on the pilot scheme which is in progress.

Daniel Poulter: The Government made a commitment to introducing a new dental contract and said there would be thorough preparation including piloting. Piloting intended to test key elements needed to design that contract began in 2011 and a second wave of pilots was announced in October 2012, to start from April 2013. The British Dental Association and a pilot practitioner have been closely involved on the National Steering Group for Dental Contract Reform and a wide range of other clinicians are engaged with the process.
	Findings collected from the first wave of pilots were published on 5 October 2012, and are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/dental-contract-reform/

Dental Services: Children

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to improve access to NHS dentistry services for school-age children.

Daniel Poulter: Access for children has increased by over 130,000 since May 2010. The Government is committed to increasing dental access. For the second year running the Government has made an additional in-year £30 million available to directly support increased dental access for adults and children.

Eyesight: Testing

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people applied for free NHS sight test vouchers in each of the last three years; and how many such applications were successful.

Daniel Poulter: Free sight tests on the national health service are available to priority groups: people aged 60 and over, children under 16, those aged 16-18 in full-time education, people on low incomes and defined categories of people at particular risk of developing eye disease.
	People who are eligible for a free NHS sight test may apply to any NHS General Ophthalmic Services contracted sight test provider rather than applying for a voucher. No records are kept of people who seek free NHS sight tests and are ineligible.
	The following table shows the number of NHS sight tests for persons in England from 2009-10 to 2011-12. This information has been extracted from the report, “General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England, Year ending 31 March 2012”.
	
		
			 NHS sight tests in England 
			  Number of free sight tests 
			 2011-12 12,305,727 
			 2010-11 11,938,529 
			 2009-10 11,811,651 
		
	
	This report, published 12 July 2012, can be accessed here:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/searchcatalogue?productid= 7880&topics=1%2fPrimary+care+services%2fEye+care +service&sort=Most+recent&soze=10&page=1#top

Food Standards Agency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to review the role of the Food Standards Agency.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) underwent a Capability Review in 2012, the report of which was published on 8 January 2013. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available on the FSA website at:
	www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/jan/capability-review
	The review highlighted a number of strengths and capability gaps. The FSA has already developed a capability action plan to set out the steps the agency will take to address the gaps and ensure it is in a strong position to meet the challenges of the future.
	The Department of Health, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the FSA will be working closely together to consider and reflect upon the lessons learnt from the current horsemeat situation.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not keep specific records of waste or surplus food disposal, but samples to determine the composition of the waste have found that food waste makes up around 5%-10% of general waste. Food waste is sent for composting as part of the waste disposal service.

Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on the development and implementation of quality dashboards by the clinical reference groups on (a) neonatal critical care, (b) paediatric intensive care and (c) specialised maternity services; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Quality dashboards have been produced for neonatal critical care and paediatric intensive care, but not specialised maternity services.
	The quality dashboards are currently being piloted and an evaluation process to test the effectiveness of the dashboards is under way. An evaluation report will be provided to the NHS Commissioning Board in due course.

Health Services

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken in response to recent Care Quality Commission inspection reports on (a) the London Ambulance Service, (b) Chase Farm Hospital, (c) Croydon University Hospital, (d) Queen's Hospital, Romford and (e) Queen Mary's Hospital, London; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: It is for individual national health service trusts to respond directly to the findings of Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections.
	We expect trusts to take the necessary steps to meet all essential standards of quality and safety required for CQC registration.

Health Services

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of the census results from Islington, Camden and Haringey for the effect of the rising population on provision of health and social services in those areas.

Norman Lamb: The planning of health services is a matter for local national health service organisations. The hon. Member may wish to contact NHS North Central London or local clinical commissioning groups for further information.
	Social care resources are currently allocated to local authorities using the relative needs formula, which takes account of demographic trends. The Department has commissioned independent experts to produce a new formula for allocating resources for adult social care to local authorities. This will take account of the latest evidence and information available. The formula review is at an early stage and further information is available at:
	www.lgfutures.co.uk/adultsocialcarernf

Health Services: Disadvantaged

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the National Commissioning Board's fulfilment of its duty to reduce inequalities between patients with their ability to access health services under section 23 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Anna Soubry: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 contains the first ever specific legal duties on health inequalities for national health service commissioners and the Secretary of State, including a requirement for the Secretary of State to conduct an assessment of how the NHS Commissioning Board has discharged their duty to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities. This assessment is to be based on the Board's annual report.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will take up its full statutory duties and responsibilities on 1 April 2013 and the Secretary of State's assessment will be conducted during the 2013-14 financial year. In addition to the formal annual assessment process, there will be an ongoing sponsorship relationship between the Department and the NHS Commissioning Board.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England and Wales aged (a) under 11 years, (b) 11 to 16 years, (c) under 18 years and (d) above 18 years were admitted to each hospital with (i) symptoms of alcohol poisoning, (ii) symptoms of substance abuse, (iii) stab wounds and (iv) gunshot wounds in each year for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: Tables which show the number of finished admission episodes with a relevant diagnosis for all patients treated in England, by the hospital provider in which they were treated have been placed in the Library. The information is broken down into the following age groups:
	Under 11 years
	11 to 16 years
	Under 18 years
	18 years and over
	Unknown.
	These data are not a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion in any given time period.

Hyperkinetic Syndrome

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of a link between poor early infant attachment and hyperkinetic syndrome;
	(2)  whether his Department uses the term hyperkinetic syndrome to describe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and what steps his Department is taking to address the early causes of ADHD in babyhood.

Norman Lamb: The Department of Health uses terms which are used by clinicians. The term hyperkinetic disorder, which is used by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes equates to the most severe cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is a term used by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV).
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides advice to the national health service on clinical best practice. NICE published the clinical guideline “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults” in September 2008. The guideline makes recommendations for the diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults but does not include recommendations relevant to children aged under three. NICE routinely reviews its published guidance in order to take account of the latest available evidence.
	The Department for Education announced on 27 December 2012 a package of reform measures aimed at improving adoption support. This includes commissioning NICE to develop guidance on evidence-based care and services for children with attachment disorders.

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will offer special assistance to Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust to help it meet NHS accident and emergency treatment time targets.

Anna Soubry: Delivery of the four hour Accident and Emergency Standard is the responsibility of the local national health service.
	The Department has already provided £330 million in additional funding to the NHS to help it cope with winter pressures this year, so patients get the treatment they deserve.
	Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has received £1.4 million of that funding to help it meet some of the challenges it is currently facing.
	The Department continues to maintain a tight focus on the operational activity of the NHS and continues to work with strategic health authorities to understand and actively respond to any potential rises in pressure.

Maternity Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant women in receipt of section 95 or section 4 support from the UK Border Agency throughout their pregnancy and birth attended (a) the same maternity service, (b) two different maternity services and (c) three or more different maternity services during their pregnancy and birth in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Means-tested Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cash and non-cash means-tested benefits are provided by his Department; what the rules are in respect of means-testing for each such benefit; and how much his Department spent on each in 2011-12.

Norman Lamb: The Department provides the following cash and non-cash means-tested benefits; Help with Health Costs, Social Care and Healthy Start.
	Help with Health Costs provides: exemption from national health service charges for prescriptions, dental treatment, wigs and fabric supports, free sight tests, access to optical vouchers and assistance with the costs of travel to an NHS appointment on referral by a primary, care practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist or optician).
	This assistance is available to recipients (and partners and dependant children) of the following:
	Income support
	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
	Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
	Child tax credit with gross annual income of £15, 276 or less or working tax credit which includes a disability or severe disability element and gross annual income of £15,276 or less.
	In addition, assistance is available through the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS) where the calculation of entitlement is based on income support regulations. The rules for Help with Health Costs is set out in the leaflet of the same name (HC11) available at:
	www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Documents/2012/HC11-oct12-approved.pdf
	Information is not held by the Department on the total value of the assistance provided for NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment, assistance with costs of travel or wigs and fabric supports. Data on people who obtained NHS sight tests, NHS optical vouchers and help with the cost of a private sight test is contained in tables 1.2, 1.7 and Annex A, table 2.5 of the report, ‘General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England, Year ending 31 March 2012’ available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB06889
	People who need social care but cannot afford to pay for it can seek support from their local authority. Such people are expected to contribute towards the cost of their care. Regulations set out how local authorities assess a person's ability to pay for their care in a care home. For non-residential care, local authorities design their own charging policies within the scope of statutory guidance set out in Local Authority Circular LAC(DH)(2012)03, ‘Charging for Residential Accommodation and Non-Residential Care Services’, available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/lac-fairercharging/
	Copies of the above documents have been placed in the Library.
	Social care funding is not ring-fenced. Local authorities are funded through council tax and central Government allocations but it is for individual local authorities to decide how much to spend on social care to meet local needs. Information is not held by the Department on the total value of assistance provided.
	Healthy Start is a United Kingdom-wide welfare food scheme administered by the Department. It supports pregnant women and children under four in very low income families by providing vouchers to put towards the cost of milk, formula milk, fruit and vegetables, and free vitamin supplements. To qualify, families must be in receipt of one or more of the following:
	Income Support
	Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
	Income related Employment and Support Allowance
	Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit (except Working Tax Credit run-on) and an annual income of £16,190 or less.
	Families access the scheme by completing a short application form which is countersigned by a midwife or health visitor, who should use the opportunity to provide relevant information on breastfeeding and healthy diet. Guidance is available at:
	www.healthystart.nhs.uk
	In 2011-12, the total cost of providing Healthy Start throughout the UK was just over £100 million.

Meat: Contamination

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received any representations from the Food Standards Agency regarding the potential contamination of meat products other than beef.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not made any representations to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), regarding the potential contamination of meat products other than beef. The FSA has required the food industry to urgently carry out its own testing of processed meat products. The results from this activity are being published as they become available. It is also working with local authorities on a United Kingdom-wide survey of food authenticity in processed meat products, to be reported in April. The immediate focus of testing has been on minced beef products, for horse and other undeclared species. The FSA additionally runs a national sampling programme, which includes food authenticity and can be focused on emerging risks as new evidence and intelligence comes to light.

Meat: Contamination

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the potential contamination of meat products other than beef.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standard Agency (FSA) has required industry to test meat products for horse and for other undeclared meat species and to report the results to them. Given the nature of the cases known to date, industry is prioritising testing on minced or comminuted beef products for horse. The first report of the results of this industry testing was published on the FSA website on 15 February, and an updated report published on 22 February. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Library. The results include 202 tests of non-beef meat products, all of which were negative for horse. A further update on industry test results for horse in beef products and in non-beef products will be published on 1 March.
	In addition to this work, the FSA runs an annual £1.6 million national co-ordinated food sampling programme, under which local authorities carry out testing based on priorities put forward by FSA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A key part of the 2013-14 programme will be meat authenticity testing using DNA based methods to determine meat speciation, including testing for horse.

Meat: EU Law

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the ban on desinewed meat on the (a) food chain and (b) contamination of beef products.

Anna Soubry: The United Kingdom moratorium on the production and use of desinewed meat (DSM) implemented in spring 2012 prohibits the production of DSM obtained from ruminant bones (cattle, sheep and goats) or ruminant bone-in cuts and requires DSM obtained from non-ruminant bones (poultry and pigs) to be treated in all respects as mechanically separated meat (MSM) and labelled as such.
	In order to comply with the moratorium, food businesses using ruminant DSM in their products will have needed to reformulate their products with alternative raw material or cease manufacture. Food businesses using non-ruminant DSM will have needed to change the consumer labelling of their products to reflect that they contain MSM, reformulate their products with alternative raw material or cease manufacture.
	Investigations into the contamination of beef products with horsemeat are ongoing. But, regardless of any financial pressures that may have arisen from the moratorium, food businesses are required to ensure that products are produced legally, safe to eat and labelled accurately.

Medical Treatments

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will recommend that individual commissioners implement National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) approved Oesophageal Doppler monitoring and other fluid management technology at a place and scale in line with NICE guidance.

Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published medical technologies guidance on the ‘CardioQ-ODM oesophageal doppler monitor’ in March 2011. The guidance is available on NICE'S website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13312/52624/52624.pdf
	It is for individual commissioners, working with their providers, to determine how best the benefits of new technology may be realised.
	‘Innovation Health and Wealth’ sets out that from April 2013, compliance with six high impact innovations, including oesophageal doppler monitoring, or similar fluid management monitoring technology, will become a pre-qualification requirement for Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN).
	This means that providers will need to meet agreed implementation goals for these high impact innovations by March 2013 in order to qualify for CQUIN payments in 2013-14.

Medical Treatments

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation (a) his Department, (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and (c) other NHS bodies have made of clinical evidence supporting (i) oesophageal doppler monitoring and (ii) other fluid management monitoring technologies.

Daniel Poulter: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published medical technologies guidance in March 2011 which states that the CardioQ-ODM oesophageal doppler monitor should be considered for use in patients undergoing major or high-risk surgery or other surgical patients in whom a clinician would consider using invasive cardiovascular monitoring. The guidance is available on NICE's website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13312/52624/52624.pdf
	A comprehensive technology adoption pack has been produced by the NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC) on behalf of the Department of Health, which contains reference to existing evidence for intra-operative fluid management. The adoption pack is available at:
	www.ntac.nhs.uk/web/FILES/Intra_Operative_Fluid_Management/IOFM_Adoption_pack_final_140612.pdf

Medical Treatments

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will assess the effects of using oesophageal doppler monitoring during surgery on (a) complications, (b) patient outcomes and (c) the length of hospital stay.

Daniel Poulter: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published medical technologies guidance in March 2011 on the CardioQ-ODM oesophageal doppler monitor. NICE considered the available evidence on the clinical benefits of oesophageal Doppler monitoring in developing its guidance. The guidance is available at:
	www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13312/52624/52624.pdf
	The NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC) implemented oesophageal doppler monitoring into clinical practice at three English hospitals and patient outcomes were compared in the 12 months before and after implementation. NTAC's case study “Oesophageal Doppler-guided fluid management during major surgery: reducing postoperative complications and bed days” is available at:
	http://arms.evidence.nhs.uk/resources/qipp/645122/attachment

Medical Treatments

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential saving to the NHS of the oesophageal doppler monitoring uptake programme recommended by his Department's Innovation Health and Wellbeing Report.

Daniel Poulter: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's costing template and report, which accompanies its medical technologies guidance on the CardioQ-ODM oesophageal doppler monitor, estimates the net savings to the NHS in England through implementing its guidance to be £413 million per annum.
	The costing template and report are available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/MTG3/CostingTemplate/xls/English

Medical Treatments

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate (a) his Department, (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and (c) the NHS Technology Adoption Centre have made of the number of patients who could benefit from oesophageal doppler monitoring and similar fluid management monitoring technologies.

Daniel Poulter: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s costing template and report, which accompanies its medical technologies guidance on the CardioQ-ODM oesophageal doppler monitor, states that adoption of intra-operative fluid management across the NHS in England could benefit 10% of all surgical patients. Using figures for 2009-10 this equates to 837,145 people per year. The costing template and report are available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/MTG3/CostingTemplate/xls/English
	A comprehensive technology adoption pack has been produced by the NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC) on behalf of the Department. This lists 77,560 procedures carried out in England annually in which there is most evidence for the use of intra-operative fluid management. The adoption pack is available at:
	www.ntac.nhs.uk/web/FILES/Intra_Operative_Fluid_Management/IOFM_Adoption_pack_final_140612.pdf

Myodil

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have physical problems as a result of being injected with Myodil; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: We have made no estimate. The issues surrounding the use of Myodil in myelography and patients who received Myodil and who continue to experience physical problems are complex. Medical opinion indicates that the symptoms which some patients experience may be due to the original condition, degenerative back disease, or surgery or other medical procedure. Few cases of adhesive arachnoiditis, which is the condition associated with the use of Myodil, have been reported from the millions of myelograms that have been performed and the incidence of adhesive arachnoiditis due solely to the presence of Myodil or other contrast agent is not known.

NHS Direct

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has conducted a full impact assessment on the decision to move Cumbria's out-of-hours telephone contact to the regional NHS Direct.

Anna Soubry: The commissioning of out-of-hours services is a matter for the local NHS.
	The NHS 111 service will be rolled out nationally by June 2013. A full national impact assessment of NHS 111 is due to be published shortly, and the Department published a partial impact assessment on 15 December 2009. The information is contained in Impact Assessment of Three Digit Number (3DN), a copy of which has been placed in the Library. In Cumbria, NHS 111 is already live and is handling out of hours calls to improve responsiveness locally.

NHS: Property

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total level of receipts was from the sale of non-trust NHS property in London in (a) each of the last three years and (b) 2013 to date; and if he will list all sources of that income.

Daniel Poulter: The total receipts from the sale of non-national health service trust property i.e. that owned by the Department, in London, in the last three years and 2013, together with the sources of that income is set out in the following table. The cash released from the sale of surplus NHS properties is reinvested in upgrading and building new facilities to support the provision of high quality NHS care.
	
		
			  Property Income (£) 
			 2010 96 Harrowdene Road, Wembley 567,000 
			  90 Capel Gardens, Pinner 460,000 
			  Total for 2010 1,027,000 
			    
			 2011 No sales 0 
			    
			 2012 St James’ Court, Florence Way, Balham 1,570,000 
			    
			 2013 667-669 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth 200,000

NHS: Surveys

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the most recent (a) in-patient, (b) outpatient, (c) accident and emergency, (d) maternity, (e) mental health and (f) cancer patient experience surveys.

Daniel Poulter: To manage the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2011-12, the Department paid Quality Health, the Survey Provider, £398,090.58 (including VAT).
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for overseeing the national patient experience surveys programme, which comprises surveys of in-patient, out-patient, accident and emergency, maternity and mental health patient experience. The CQC provided the following information.
	The CQC estimate that its own cost for providing national statistics for the year to 31 August 2012 is £1,882,000, but the total cost of each of these surveys is not quantifiable. This is due to the way in which patient experience surveys are commissioned. The national patient experience surveys programme operates a devolved model, whereby the CQC's role is limited to developing, designing and testing the surveys, and collating, analysing and publishing the results.
	Individual national health service provider organisations are responsible for commissioning and funding these surveys. Some organisations choose to administer the surveys themselves, while others procure services from a group of five contractors approved by the CQC for running these surveys on behalf of the NHS.
	Approved contractors may offer a variety of additional services (for example, increasing the sample size, adding extra questions, presenting the findings or developing action plans), the costs of which vary between each contractor. In addition, contractors may also offer discount packages for more than one survey or where groups of trusts use the same contractor. CQC is not party to these contracts and is not therefore able to state the total cost of each survey.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Daniel Poulter: The Department introduced 19 sets of regulations and 15 Orders between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013.
	A list of these has been placed in the Library.

Social Services: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of adults are receiving social care in (a) Kent, (b) Medway and (c) Chatham and Aylesford constituency.

Norman Lamb: The number of adults receiving social care is collected by the health and social care information centre (HSCIC) as part of the referrals, assessments and packages of care (RAP) return. However, we are unable to provide data on the number of service users in Chatham and Aylesford as data are not collected at constituency level. Both Kent and Medway are local authority areas for which we are able to supply data.
	Table 1 shows the number of and proportion of adults receiving social care in Kent and Medway local authority social service departments in 2011-12. Proportions of adults receiving social care are supplied as a percentage of all adults living within each area according to latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) population estimates.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number and proportion of adults receiving social care in Kent and Medway, 2011-12 
			  Number Proportion (expressed as a percentage) 
			 Kent 42,820 3.7 
			 Medway 6,195 3.0 
			 Sources: RAP P1 proforma, HSCIC and ONS mid-year population estimates.

Social Services: Older People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on social care for the over 65s in each adult social care department in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) does collect information on adult social care expenditure by local Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England.
	Data on local authority expenditure on state funded care is collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in two ways;
	1. An annual national publication with council level support annexes.
	2. The National Adult Social Care Intelligence Service is a data repository of all adult social care information in England.
	National spend of adult social care is reported as gross current expenditure, in line with reporting of national accounts.
	CASSRs report expenditure to the HSCIC by service category and not spend on people.
	Table 1 shows the gross current expenditure for councils in England with adult social services responsibilities on adults aged 65 or over as their primary client group between 2007-08 and 2011-12.
	The national expenditure report for adult social care in England can be accessed from:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/pssexpcosts1112final
	Guidance on the way information is collected by the HSCIC relating to adult social care expenditure including definitions can be accessed from:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/socialcarecollections2012
	
		
			 Table 1: Gross current expenditure by CASSR councils on older people, aged 65 or over, 2007-08 to 2011-12 final 
			 £000 
			  Total gross current expenditure older people (aged 65 or over) 
			 Council 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Barking and Dagenham 38,652 36,547 36,825 34,274 31,521 
			 Barnet 57,558 54,340 55,526 55,506 54,398 
			 Barnsley 43,159 44,696 46,442 44,819 38,665 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 28,392 29,013 33,151 32,600 32,357 
			 Bedford — — 22,876 22,961 23,507 
			 Bedfordshire 53,321 55,100 — — — 
			 Bexley 33,495 35,272 31,880 30,504 28,303 
			 Birmingham 179,880 221,757 224,387 214,062 191,114 
			 Blackburn 26,387 27,327 28,219 25,382 24,321 
			 Blackpool 29,518 28,506 29,599 30,289 28,609 
			 Bolton 43,879 42,543 44,473 45,001 41,251 
			 Bournemouth 36,135 37,364 36,243 37,269 35,360 
			 Bracknell Forest 14,500 15,048 15,466 15,231 15,769 
			 Bradford 95,013 94,852 90,563 92,134 89,882 
			 Brent 45,736 47,829 38,682 37,445 38,652 
			 Brighton and Hove 50,496 56,426 51,601 50,744 48,241 
			 Bristol 78,697 80,034 89,988 90,509 87,616 
			 Bromley 44,843 50,364 51,691 52,170 52,241 
			 Buckinghamshire 65,896 71,381 75,068 73,279 68,382 
			 Bury 30,453 29,810 31,633 30,939 28,866 
			 Calderdale 33,310 36,272 35,326 37,850 34,860 
			 Cambridgeshire 86,922 90,337 96,608 98,631 96,334 
			 Camden 51,617 50,278 50,189 51,242 51,950 
			 Central Bedfordshire — — 37,771 37,487 35,791 
			 Cheshire 122,828 125,610 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Cheshire East — — 68,353 67,600 70,702 
			 Cheshire West and Chester — — 66,116 61,771 58,974 
			 City of London 2,749 2,387 2,719 2,647 4,248 
			 Cornwall 79,847 81,172 84,014 80,303 72,972 
			 Coventry 57,608 60,861 57,665 57,095 55,976 
			 Croydon 50,345 53,593 53,982 55,103 51,934 
			 Cumbria 109,958 118,977 118,655 117,389 119,024 
			 Darlington 19,583 20,315 21,102 21,323 20,764 
			 Derby 39,019 38,843 37,968 38,548 35,973 
			 Derbyshire 131,231 134,909 141,398 141,239 143,370 
			 Devon 143,951 147,967 148,141 146,736 157,313 
			 Doncaster 53,382 54,326 58,193 59,521 58,114 
			 Dorset 74,080 77,004 79,105 81,644 79,420 
			 Dudley 51,996 53,866 57,189 59,303 61,563 
			 Durham 111,297 129,984 126,810 126,784 117,731 
			 Ealing 50,055 50,609 49,786 54,264 51,092 
			 East Riding 51,950 52,905 59,007 62,085 58,028 
			 East Sussex 100,498 109,053 (1)— 123,668 113,511 
			 Enfield 49,765 51,067 55,593 51,476 54,406 
			 Essex 241,716 258,708 253,445 257,427 242,636 
			 Gateshead 43,144 49,460 49,977 50,094 45,196 
			 Gloucestershire 82,395 82,668 90,897 92,078 90,036 
			 Greenwich 39,330 42,958 45,995 45,144 39,620 
			 Hackney 42,325 44,172 52,086 49,983 45,766 
			 Halton 20,435 18,320 17,192 19,141 19,310 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 31,725 32,816 28,267 37,607 31,223 
			 Hampshire 177,095 187,898 204,761 206,372 204,867 
			 Haringey 39,712 37,436 39,487 40,471 39,765 
			 Harrow 29,626 31,946 34,025 36,922 34,755 
			 Hartlepool 21,322 21,470 21,299 22,262 20,862 
			 Havering 38,669 39,709 41,809 39,160 40,053 
			 Herefordshire 28,584 29,958 30,990 33,838 32,132 
			 Hertfordshire 163,075 174,998 182,531 181,136 184,024 
			 Hillingdon 41,051 39,538 42,748 42,772 41,731 
			 Hounslow 32,316 31,436 30,912 45,421 28,832 
			 Isle of Wight 31,066 32,142 32,401 35,432 29,034 
			 Isles of Scilly 598 548 484 701 669 
			 Islington 42,280 45,965 43,478 40,694 38,816 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 27,032 31,764 31,737 33,954 27,982 
			 Kent 225,468 224,837 242,664 249,643 218,195 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 49,489 48,321 52,161 50,953 54,733 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 26,391 27,553 31,012 29,119 28,577 
			 Kirklees 72,891 70,781 70,126 67,821 62,389 
			 Knowsley 27,858 30,553 32,063 32,006 28,726 
			 Lambeth 49,533 50,365 52,660 52,981 46,020 
			 Lancashire 192,537 201,352 213,529 225,620 198,572 
			 Leeds 133,685 134,171 135,987 129,313 112,743 
			 Leicester 47,105 47,601 48,096 47,562 48,205 
			 Leicestershire 93,186 97,742 100,263 93,692 83,029 
			 Lewisham 48,993 49,695 50,802 49,929 49,819 
			 Lincolnshire 119,208 126,238 132,832 139,417 124,719 
			 Liverpool 102,010 98,057 82,329 94,853 77,630 
			 Luton 29,644 31,112 35,408 32,923 32,527 
			 Manchester 79,364 80,400 75,310 85,514 70,332 
			 Medway Towns 36,615 36,579 39,782 40,574 39,858 
			 Merton 32,361 30,870 31,776 32,136 31,385 
			 Middlesbrough 23,467 25,940 29,128 27,955 26,596 
			 Milton Keynes 30,135 29,614 29,577 32,513 31,413 
			 NE Lincolnshire 32,411 33,451 36,305 37,816 32,211 
			 N Lincolnshire 29,081 28,167 29,609 30,210 31,500 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 55,111 55,316 54,846 53,392 54,970 
			 Newham 39,619 41,042 42,724 40,651 40,111 
			 Norfolk 145,938 134,665 152,962 165,894 152,483 
		
	
	
		
			 North Somerset 37,786 37,067 37,005 39,374 39,220 
			 North Tyneside 40,132 42,682 41,304 43,223 40,835 
			 North Yorkshire 101,272 105,562 106,123 105,880 103,164 
			 Northamptonshire 89,290 92,160 95,280 101,510 92,124 
			 Northumberland 74,687 75,002 79,242 75,494 72,396 
			 Nottingham 45,983 50,815 52,303 53,634 51,316 
			 Nottinghamshire 128,741 133,286 142,915 142,861 140,223 
			 Oldham 44,194 50,453 44,481 47,055 38,791 
			 Oxfordshire 98,374 102,294 110,229 109,617 98,247 
			 Peterborough 24,917 28,991 22,923 19,198 26,522 
			 Plymouth 43,071 38,871 45,561 44,904 41,074 
			 Poole 24,353 24,956 27,093 29,063 27,090 
			 Portsmouth 33,046 31,056 30,186 30,992 26,789 
			 Reading 21,499 22,275 24,624 25,554 26,046 
			 Redbridge 42,327 47,795 44,824 42,731 40,524 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 26,221 32,088 34,500 33,376 25,460 
			 Richmond upon Thames 31,519 33,661 35,877 36,125 35,130 
			 Rochdale 38,366 38,499 37,027 35,971 34,498 
			 Rotherham 54,508 55,900 55,320 55,970 50,177 
			 Rutland 5,529 5,066 5,516 5,751 5,382 
			 Salford 42,604 40,908 41,729 38,820 32,232 
			 Sandwell 61,559 63,925 65,295 65,023 57,934 
			 Sefton 55,998 58,689 63,061 60,735 55,938 
			 Sheffield 109,988 102,754 101,723 99,667 91,909 
			 Shropshire 45,935 45,402 47,042 49,834 44,526 
			 Slough 17,923 20,421 18,036 17,740 16,427 
			 Solihull 28,091 29,514 33,215 34,568 31,640 
			 Somerset 88,733 88,034 99,015 96,418 93,233 
			 South Gloucestershire 37,656 29,922 47,166 48,300 44,653 
			 South Tyneside 35,752 39,059 41,533 42,273 34,574 
			 Southampton 39,852 37,879 40,221 40,190 39,148 
			 Southend 32,808 32,081 37,467 34,700 27,985 
			 Southwark 45,650 46,886 46,667 49,453 43,110 
			 St Helens 36,811 35,068 33,611 36,304 33,525 
			 Staffordshire 131,980 135,297 136,431 142,694 139,115 
			 Stockport 48,553 53,554 56,016 55,336 49,542 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 29,174 30,097 31,234 33,341 32,932 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 47,085 46,647 46,529 48,983 48,745 
			 Suffolk 125,704 127,580 140,041 126,429 122,321 
			 Sunderland 53,999 52,657 53,890 53,506 54,139 
			 Surrey 151,154 (1)— 167,548 170,537 192,654 
			 Sutton 29,963 30,478 33,125 32,161 28,730 
			 Swindon 25,487 24,196 29,322 29,491 27,856 
			 Tameside 42,767 45,724 46,199 43,412 43,723 
			 Telford and Wrekin 21,068 21,559 22,895 23,667 24,610 
			 Thurrock 21,930 24,657 26,482 26,091 25,988 
			 Torbay 29,110 30,791 31,348 32,403 29,369 
			 Tower Hamlets 42,307 42,036 44,756 45,370 42,217 
			 Trafford 34,141 33,905 37,427 37,539 35,908 
			 Wakefield 55,160 58,704 58,562 60,141 58,028 
			 Walsall 53,597 53,344 53,701 48,750 47,980 
			 Waltham Forest 36,785 37,089 41,281 39,889 35,993 
			 Wandsworth 44,837 45,998 48,255 47,712 45,134 
			 Warrington 35,788 38,438 38,488 40,793 40,027 
			 Warwickshire 83,036 86,677 91,548 87,110 81,895 
			 West Berkshire 20,964 23,005 25,806 25,229 27,376 
			 West Sussex 138,784 145,078 145,200 148,159 124,656 
			 Westminster 44,555 49,905 53,656 52,264 37,994 
			 Wigan 42,326 40,710 44,652 46,778 42,554 
			 Wiltshire 63,175 70,821 77,349 70,320 77,063 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 18,672 20,304 20,336 21,184 19,291 
			 Wirral 63,273 66,596 61,731 62,232 53,210 
			 Wokingham 17,983 20,018 21,999 22,450 23,147 
		
	
	
		
			 Wolverhampton 53,692 55,317 54,646 52,903 47,257 
			 Worcestershire 85,552 85,657 88,577 89,963 89,663 
			 York 27,609 30,763 32,439 31,369 28,469 
			 England 8,768,982 9,076,046 9,389,080 9,442,438 8,916,588 
			 ‘—’ = Unavailable data, including council boundary changes (Cheshire and Bedfordshire). (1) Missing data

Social Services: Older People

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent annually on care for the elderly (a) resident in residential and nursing care, (b) receiving home care, (c) receiving day care, (d) receiving meals-on-wheels and (e) resident in reablement settings in each local authority in each year for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) does collect information on adult social care expenditure by local Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England.
	Data on local authority expenditure on state funded care are collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in two ways:
	1. An annual national publication with council level support annexes.
	2. The National Adult Social Care Intelligence Service (NASCIS) is a data repository of all adult social care information in England.
	National spend of adult social care is reported as gross current expenditure, in line with reporting of national accounts.
	CASSRs report expenditure to the HSCIC by service category and not spend on people.
	A table showing the gross current expenditure for Councils in England with Adult Social Services Responsibilities on adults aged 65 or over as their primary client group between 2005-06 and 2011-12, and by select service categories:
	(a) residential and nursing care
	(b) home care
	(c) day care
	(d) meals
	has been placed in the Library.
	The HSCIC collects data on reablement under the service category Home Care. However this information has data quality issues. Data are collected on a voluntary basis, and the majority of councils report reablement data as blank. Voluntary data are not validated and are not available on NASCIS. Gross current expenditure values are not produced when part of either expenditure or income data are missing.
	The national expenditure report for adult social care in England can be accessed from:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/pssexpcosts1112final
	Guidance on the way information is collected by the HSCIC relating to adult social care expenditure including definitions can be accessed from:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/socialcarecollections2012

Social Work: Higher Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Russell Group universities have ended their social work degree courses since May 2010.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect this information. The Health and Care Professions Council inform us that one Russell Group university, the university of Southampton, has closed their provision between the 2010 and 2012 academic years.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral statement of 31 January 2013, Official Report, columns 1072-75, on South London Healthcare NHS Trust, what clinical evidence Sir Bruce Keogh has provided to substantiate the claim that a free-standing midwife-led unit at Lewisham Hospital would continue to deal with at least 10 per cent of existing activity and potentially up to 60 per cent.

Daniel Poulter: Implementing the Trust Special Administrator's (TSA) recommendations could improve maternity care and outcomes by concentrating obstetric-led maternity services on fewer sites and enabling greater consultant presence for those women choosing to give birth at an obstetric-led maternity service. Mothers whose pregnancies are rated as low risk can give birth in a stand alone midwife led unit such as the one proposed at University Hospital Lewisham. The rate of usage will be determined by the number of mothers with low risk pregnancies who choose to go to University Hospital Lewisham.
	The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence suggest up to 60% of women in England are suitable to give birth in a free-standing midwife-led unit. However, based on historic patient choice elsewhere in London, and an assumption that around half of the patients currently using the co-located midwife-led unit at Lewisham will continue to attend a stand-alone unit, the TSA has modelled that around 10% of the births projected to take place at University Hospital Lewisham in 2015-16 will still take place there.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral statement of 31 January 2013, Official Report, columns 1072-75, on South London Healthcare NHS Trust, 
	(1)  what clinical evidence Sir Bruce Keogh provided to substantiate his claim that allowing Lewisham to retain its accident and emergency facility would help reduce the level of increased demand at hospitals with larger accident and emergency services;
	(2)  what clinical evidence Sir Bruce Keogh has provided to substantiate the claim that the new emergency care service at Lewisham Hospital could continue to see up to three-quarters of those currently attending Lewisham A&E.

Anna Soubry: The draft report by the Trust Special Administrator (TSA) proposed that the accident and emergency (A&E) department at Lewisham hospital should be downgraded to a non-admitting Urgent Care Centre.
	The draft report estimated that around 77% of Lewisham hospital's current A&E activity would remain at that site. The figures are based on activity data supplied to the TSA by Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust. In light of consultation and further analysis, the TSA revised this figure to “at least 50%”.
	Sir Bruce Keogh advised the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), that Lewisham hospital should retain an admitting A&E service with senior emergency medical cover. His estimate that the site could manage nearer to 75% of activity with these changes is based on the Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust's admissions data and flowing from this that the A&E service would have the clinical capacity to safely treat this number of patients. Treating more patients at Lewisham means a reduced number of patients going to other A&E sites in the local health economy.
	The TSA's original analysis is in his draft report which is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/tsa-draftreport/
	Sir Bruce's advice is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/01/slht-decision/
	Both the TSA analysis and Sir Bruce's advice can only be estimates based on the best available information at the time. Managing activity levels across the different sites will need to be a key part of implementation planning involving Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS providers and the NHS Trust Development Authority.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Daniel Poulter: All the Department's functions support its core statutory obligations. In 2012-13, the Department estimated it required 2,400 full-time equivalents to undertake its minimum statutory obligations. The Department publishes these figures annually in its Business Plan and a detailed breakdown by directorate can be found in the 2012-13 Business Plan at:
	http://transparency.dh.gov.uk/2012/05/31/department-of-health-business-plan/
	The Department is currently developing its workforce plans for 2013-14 and these will be published in due course as part of the 2013-14 Business Plan.

Surgeons: Inspections

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on patient care and safety of the withdrawal of the Joint Committee for Higher Surgical Training inspection regime.

Daniel Poulter: Currently the General Medical Council (GMC) is responsible for the quality assurance of medical education and training and inspection visits to education providers. As part of this process it gathers concerns about patient safety issues and works with deaneries and local education providers to require action plans for improvement. Serious concerns are communicated to the Care Quality Commission but there is no mechanism for routine reporting of concerns to the Department. Prior to that, this was the responsibility of the Postgraduate Medical Education and training Board.
	In the future, Health Education England and the GMC will review such quality assurance processes in the light of the recommendation of the Francis report, including greater use of specialist expertise from the Royal Colleges.

Surgery: Inspections

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many invited reviews were commissioned from the Royal College of Surgeons by hospital trusts, of which his Department had notification, in each year since 2005.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold this information.

Young Offenders: Mental Illness

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the secure youth estate had recognised mental health conditions in each year since May 2010; and how many of those conditions were (a) screened on arrival and (b) later diagnosed.

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Average Earnings

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate she has made of the average pay for (a) men and (b) women in (i) Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistics relating to the labour market, including information regarding employment, unemployment and earnings. Figures for the average pay of men and women by local authority, region and country are made available in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings which can be downloaded from the ONS website.

Birth Certificates

Toby Perkins: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether, under the Government's equal marriage proposals, parents will still be able to register themselves as mother and father on their children's birth certificates.

Helen Grant: The Government's equal marriage proposals are set out in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which was published on 25 January. Enabling same-sex couples to marry will not change the meaning or use of the terms “mother” and “father”.
	Currently, an opposite sex couple can be shown as “mother” and “father” on birth certificates. A female same sex couple (who meet the parenthood conditions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008) can be shown as “mother” and “parent”. A male same sex couple require a transfer of parental rights to take place in order for them both (as opposed to just one of them) to be identified as the parents. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will not change these existing arrangements.

Body Confidence

Henry Smith: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what progress she has made on the Government's body confidence agenda; and if she will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: The Government's Body Confidence project was launched in 2010, with guidance and support from an Expert Advisory Group drawn from industry, academia and the voluntary sector. We work to raise awareness about body image and encourage public debate about the burdens that popular culture can place on people's well-being and self-esteem. We do this in the following ways:
	Working with industry to encourage voluntary action. We have established roundtables for the media, retail, advertising and fitness sectors, and worked with the Professional Publishers Association to develop an industry award for magazines to recognise good practice. We supported research conducted by Girlguiding UK who showed that high numbers of young girls feel pressured into conforming into particular body shapes.
	Working across Government. We have fed into the Obesity Strategy, the Keogh Review of cosmetic surgery, the Bailey Review on the commercialisation and sexualisation of children, and the violence against women and girls action plan.
	Talking directly to the general public. Throughout 2012 we ran a series of monthly blogs on the Huffington Post. In partnership with the not-for-profit company Media Smart:
	http://www.mediasmart.org.uk/resources/bodyimage
	we published media literacy teaching packs for teachers and parents, which have been downloaded over 30,000 times.
	Over the next few months we will strengthen the links with other Government activity on girls' aspirations and women's economic contribution, and continue to work with industry to support positive change.

Members: Correspondence

Toby Perkins: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she intends to reply to (a) the letter of 7 August 2012 from the hon. Member for Chesterfield to her ministerial predecessor and (b) the letter of 13 September 2012 from the hon. Member for Chesterfield concerning the equal marriage proposals.

Helen Grant: I answered both the hon. Member's letters on 25 September 2012. I have since sent the hon. Member a letter enclosing the original response.

Operating Costs

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the Government Equalities Office's administrative expenditure was in 2010; and what that expenditure will be in 2015.

Helen Grant: The expenditure outturn in 2010-11 for the Government Equalities Office administrative budget was £44.13 million. The planned expenditure for 2014-15 is £24.61 million. There are no budgets yet agreed for 2015-16.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what regulations she introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

Helen Grant: The following statutory instruments were made between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013:
	The Equality Act 2010 (Age Exceptions) Order 2012 came into effect on 1 October 2012.
	The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Overseas Relationships) Order 2012 came in effect on 31 January 2013.
	The cost of making these statutory instruments consists of staff time which is not measured in the way the hon. Gentleman requests.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many staff of her Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) east Yorkshire.

Helen Grant: All departmental staff are employed in London.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in her Department; whether her Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if she will publish such documents.

Hugh Robertson: The average number of working days lost at DCMS per employee is 4.8 per annum—well below the civil service median. DCMS does not categorise alcohol-related absence but it has a set of values, policies and support mechanisms in place that enable all absences to be dealt with fairly and consistently. Upon joining DCMS, all staff are made aware of the Department's stance on alcohol misuse and can access the Department's policies via the intranet. DCMS staff have access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
	The Department's policy on alcohol, drug and substance misuse, and its occupational health guidance will be made available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Broadband

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will review the framework for agreement and arrangements between network operators and land owners on securing wayleaves and rights of way for the roll-out of fibre for broadband provision.

Edward Vaizey: The Law Commission has recently carried out a review into the Electronic Communications Code, which governs the rights of electronic communications providers to install and maintain infrastructure on private and public land. We expect the Law Commission to present its recommendations later this month. The Government will consider the recommendations carefully before taking forward changes to the code.

Equality Advisory and Support Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer from the Ministry of Justice of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 452W, on Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), what the actual (a) set-up and (b) on-going costs of the EASS are.

Helen Grant: The total contract cost for setting up and running the EASS is £6 million over three years. More detailed information about costs would reveal information that is likely to damage the supplier's commercial interests.

Government Procurement Card

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the mean average spend using a Government Procurement Card was per member of staff in (a) her Department and (b) each of its arm's length bodies in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012.

Hugh Robertson: The average spend using GPC card per member of DCMS staff was:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011 581.62 
			 2012 777.82 
		
	
	The figure increased in 2012 due to the Department's work on the Olympic Games but there has been a significant saving from the recent high of 2008 where cost of spending was £886.33 per person.
	The Department does not collate information about individual GPC usage within our arm's length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member.
	Copies of their replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

National Lottery

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will require the national lottery to display the odds of winning on lottery tickets.

Hugh Robertson: The National Lottery Commission, the independent regulator of the national lottery, already requires the operator to make clear information available to players about the odds of winning national lottery games. This includes ensuring each retailer makes available the Players' Guide, which contains detailed information about the odds of draw-based games. Overall odds are also printed on scratchcard tickets and players can access detailed odds on all national lottery games from the national lottery website.

Overtime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) her Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13 to date.

Hugh Robertson: The information is as follows:
	(a) Average overtime cost per member of staff for DCMS was:
	2010-11: £138.53
	2011-12: £180.85 (£169.60 excluding Olympic games time costs)
	2012-13 (to January 2013): £459.60 (£143.97 excluding Olympic games time costs)
	(b) Total cost of overtime payments by year for DCMS was:
	2010-11: £66,978.27
	2011-12: £82,629.85 (£77,490.55 excluding Olympic games time costs)
	2012-13 (to January 2013): £185,676.83 (£58,162.92 excluding Olympic games time costs)
	The figure increased in 2012 due to the Department’s work on the Olympic games but there has been a significant saving from the recent high of 2008 where cost of spending was 310,419.21 for total overtime cost.
	The Department does not collate information about overtime payments within our arm’s length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member. Copies of their replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Press: Subscriptions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 219W, on press subscriptions, how much her Department has spent on subscriptions since May 2010.

Hugh Robertson: From May 2010 to December 2012, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £42,314.36 on newspapers and all periodicals. The Department is unable to separately identify the cost of press subscriptions from all of the serial publications it receives, without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In early 2011 the Department cancelled the majority of its subscriptions for hard copy publications, thereby significantly reducing the cost of subscriptions from 2011-12.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people she appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The number of people appointed to DCMS public bodies under a process regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments were:
	
		
			  New appointments Reappointments 
			 (a) 2010-11 51 51 
			 (b) 2011-12 52 51 
		
	
	The Commissioner for public appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; this information is not broken down by ethnic group. The Commissioner does not collect information regarding candidates' religion.

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how often her Department produces a staff magazine.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a weekly e-newsletter for staff. This is managed internally and no hard copies are produced.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and which regulations her Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate she has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has repealed one regulation between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. This was to exempt live music from the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003, and came into force as the Live Music Act 2012. The deregulation was assessed to provide a direct equivalent annual net benefit to business of £0.4 million.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to reduce sickness absence in her Department.

Hugh Robertson: My Department has a sickness absence policy which provides a framework of procedures and behaviours to enable absence to be dealt with fairly and consistently by both managers and staff throughout the Department.

Sports: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what direct financial support her Department provided to sporting events or organisations in the years (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Hugh Robertson: Government support for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is set out in the Department's regular quarterly reports. The final report was published on 23 October 2012 and is available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/9465.aspx
	The Government provided financial support for LOCOG, who were responsible for the London 2012 test events, and for security and other issues.
	The Department has not provided any direct financial support to any other sporting events in either (a) 2010, (b) 2011 or (c) 2012. UK Sport is the Government agency responsible for allocating lottery funds, rather than Exchequer funding, to major events and has supported the UK's Major Sports Events programme.
	As the lead Department for Sport, the Department supports major events through co-ordination of cross-departmental discussions to ensure full Government support to major events, as set out in 'A Stage to Inspire' which was recently published by UK Sport. In addition, the Department provides direct funding to four sporting arm's length bodies: Sport England, UK Sport, the Sports Ground Safety Authority (formerly the Football Licensing Authority) and UK Anti-Doping, as set out in our Annual Reports and Accounts.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are based in each property used by her Department.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s offices are London-based. The number of full-time equivalents in each property are:
	Cockspur Street, London: 288.9
	Tottenham Court road: 14
	Marsham street: 104.
	The Government Art Collection and the Information Services team are based in Tottenham Court road and the rest of the staff in Cockspur street
	Following a machinery of government change in 2012, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) joined DCMS from the Home Office. GEO staff are currently based in the Home Office building in Marsham street.

Swimming Pools

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding programmes her Department has made available for the provision of local swimming pools for sporting and recreational purposes.

Hugh Robertson: Funding is available for investment in local swimming pool facilities through a number of Sport England's legacy programmes. £65 million has been made available for smaller facilities through the Inspired Facilities fund, £30 million for innovative, large-scale, multi-sport facilities through the Iconic Facilities fund, and £45 million for medium-sized projects through the Improvement Fund.

Tourism: South West

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to promote tourism in Devon and Cornwall.

Hugh Robertson: Devon and Cornwall will benefit from the ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ initiative from VisitEngland, which is receiving £l9.8 million from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Most of this money is being spent on the national ‘Holidays at Home are Great’ campaign, from which Devon and Cornwall will also profit. Further to this, VisitCornwall has been allocated £100,000 as a 'primary destination' from RGF funds ('primary destinations' are areas defined by BIS as qualifying for RGF funding to help deliver jobs). Three destination organisations (North Devon Plus, Islands' Partnership, and English Riviera in Devon and Cornwall) have also contributed a combined £15,000 which will be match-funded at the very minimum 1:1 with RGF funds. This money will be put towards VisitEngland's ‘coastal’ marketing campaign.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff of her Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Hugh Robertson: My Department does not have any employees in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) retail, (b) agriculture, (c) tourism, (d) construction, (e) education, (f) information and communication technology and (g) science and mathematics apprentices in (i) Hull and (ii) Kingston upon Hull North constituency completed their apprenticeship programme in the last fiscal year.

Matthew Hancock: The following table shows the number of apprenticeship achievements in Kingston upon Hull North parliamentary constituency and Kingston upon Hull local education authority by sector subject area. Data are shown for 2011/12, the latest academic year for which full year data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship programme achievements by geography and sector subject area, 2011/12 
			 Sector subject area 2011/12 
			 Kingston upon Hull North parliamentary constituency  
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care — 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing — 
			 Business, Administration and Law 200 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 60 
			 Education and Training — 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 70 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 70 
			 Information and Communication Technology 20 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture — 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 20 
			 Preparation for Life and Work — 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 130 
		
	
	
		
			 Science and Mathematics — 
			 Unknown — 
			 Total 570 
			   
			 Kingston upon Hull local education authority  
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 20 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing — 
			 Business, Administration and Law 620 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 170 
			 Education and Training — 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 250 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 230 
			 Information and Communication Technology 70 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture — 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 50 
			 Preparation for Life and Work — 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 380 
			 Science and Mathematics — 
			 Unknown — 
			 Total 1,790 
			 Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. ‘—’ indicates a value of less than five. 2. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Apprentices: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many retail apprentices in (a) Pendle and (b) Lancashire completed their apprenticeship programme in 2011-12.

Matthew Hancock: The following table shows the number of apprenticeship achievements in the ‘Retail and Commercial Enterprise’ sector subject area in Pendle parliamentary constituency and Lancashire local education authority for the 2011/12 academic year:
	
		
			 Apprenticeship achievements in the '’Retail and Commercial Enterprise’ sector subject area by geography, 2011/12 
			  2011/12 achievements 
			 Pendle parliamentary constituency 70 
			 Lancashire local education authority 1,340 
			 Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Apprentices: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Redditch have worked with the Government's apprenticeship scheme since that scheme's introduction.

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by geography are published in supplementary tables to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR), last published on 11 October 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/87E140BF-810D-4C48-A5C1-9C8B84B46117/0/October2012_Apprenticeship_Starts.xls
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

Jo Swinson: The property costs for financial year 2011/12 for each property used by BIS are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year 2011/12 
			 Property name/address Rent Rates Other costs 
			 Alexandra House, Leeds, LS16 6QY £114,740 £40,919 £62,484 
			 Apex Court, Nottingham, NG2 4LA — — Not part of BIS core estate in 2011/12. Building transferred to BIS in April 2012 
			 Queensway House, Billingham, TS23 2NF £48,000 £13,748 £72,858 
			 The Business Centre, Cambridge, CB4 9LQ — — Not part of BIS core estate in 2011/12. Building transferred to BIS in April 2012 on the abolition of the RDAs 
			 Victoria Street 1, London, SW1H 0ET £9,542,358 £4,898,851 £3,820,096 
			 Westfield House, Earlsfield, SW18 4UT 0 £129,105 £403,141 
			 3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN Included in licence payment £89,565 (licence payment) 
			 St Paul’s Place, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 2FJ Included in licence payment £990,155 (licence payment) 
			 Companies House, Maindy, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ Included in licence payment £238,772 (licence payment) 
			 The Axis, Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1TG — — Not part of BIS core estate in 2011/12. Building transferred to BIS in April 2012 
			 Watford Exchange House, Exchange Road, Watford, WD18 0JJ Included in licence payment £136,426 (licence payment) 
			 Europa House, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8LG Included in licence payment £183,544 (licence payment) 
			 Victoria House, Southampton Row, WC1B 4AD Included in licence payment £790,242 (licence payment) 
			 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EH — — Not part of BIS core estate in 2011/12. Building transferred to BIS in June 2012 on the abolition of the RDAs 
			 Arndale House, Arndale Centre, Manchester, M4 3AQ Included in licence payment £82,541 (licence payment) 
			 Moongate House, Fifth Avenue Business Pk, Gateshead, NE11 0HF Included in licence payment £96,999 (licence payment) 
			 NTI Building, 15 Bartholomew Row, Birmingham, B5 5JU Included in licence payment £103,249 (licence payment) 
			 Bridge House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4GA Included in licence payment £41,987 (licence payment) 
			 Castle View House, East Lane, Runcorn, WA7 2GJ — — BIS does not pay costs for occupancy of this building 
			 Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington, DL3 9BG — — BIS does not pay costs for the occupancy of this building 
			 Daresbury Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD — — £11,403 (licence payment) start date 22 September 2011 
			 Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6BS — — BIS does not pay costs for the occupancy of this building 
			 Larkhill, Wiltshire — — BIS does not pay costs for the occupancy of this building 
			 Stanley Barracks, Dorset — — BIS does not pay costs for the occupancy of this building 
			 Note: Figures include VAT where it is non-reclaimable. 
		
	
	Other costs cover core facilities management (including mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance, cleaning and security) and utilities.
	BIS is on course to save £84 million by reducing the number of buildings leased by the Department and its partner organisations. We constantly look at our property portfolio to ensure that all buildings are representing value for money.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

Jo Swinson: The following figures are taken from the Cabinet Office's 2011/12 Property Benchmarking Service Programme and show the aggregated performance results for the BIS office buildings nominated for inclusion in the 2011/12 benchmarking programme:
	(a) 35,077 m(2) (figure is based on net internal area)
	(b) 11.7 m(2) per full-time equivalent
	The floor space includes the BIS Conference Centre at 1 Victoria street, SW1.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Jo Swinson: The names and locations of all properties used by officials of the Department are as follows:
	
		
			 Property name / address Tenure type (n/a for MOTO/Licence) Lease expiry Holding floor area (m(2)) 
			 Alexandra House, Leeds, LS16 6QY Leasehold/Licence 15 July 2015 575.6 
			 Apex Court, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Leasehold/Licence 27 May 2019 462 
			 Queensway House, Billingham, TS23 2NF Leasehold/Licence 23 June 2013 691.2 
			 The Business Centre, Cambridge, CB4 9LQ Leasehold/Licence 8 April 2024 93.8 
			 Victoria Street 1, London, SW1H OET Leasehold/Licence 31 January 2021 29,732 
			 Westfield House, Earlsfield, SW18 4UT Leasehold/Licence 29 September 2013 7,400.0 
			 3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN MOTO 8 September 2013 250 
			 St Paul's Place, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 2FJ MOTO 31 May 2013 1,844 
			 Companies House, Maindy, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ MOTO Holding over 1,056 
			 The Axis, Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1TG Licence 17 April 2013 407.5 
			 Watford Exchange House, Exchange Rd, Watford, WD18 OJJ MOTO 31 March 2015 560 
			 Europa House, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8LG MOTO 22 December 2016 448 
			 Victoria House, Southampton Row, WC1B 4AD MOTO 31 December 2013 1,056 
			 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EH MOTO 24 December 2021 1 April 2015 (break) 760 
			 Arndale House, Arndale Centre, Manchester, M4 3AQ MOTO One month's notice (1)— 
			 Moongate House, Fifth Avenue Business Pk, Gateshead, NE11 OHF MOTO One month's notice (1)— 
			 NTI Building, 15 Bartholomew Row, Birmingham, B5 5JU MOTO One month's notice (1)— 
			 Bridge House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4GA MOTO One month's notice (1)— 
			 Castle View House, East Lane, Runcorn, WA7 2GJ Building is owned by another Government Department. No formal agreement in place to occupy space. — — 
			 Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington, DL3 9BG Building is owned by another Government Department. No formal agreement in place to occupy space. — — 
			 Daresbury Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD Leasehold/licence 21 September 2014 (1)— 
			 Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6BS Building is leased by another Government organisation. No formal agreement in place to occupy space. — — 
			 Larkhill, Wiltshire Informal agreement with MoD. — — 
			 Stanley Barracks, Dorset Informal agreement with MoD. — — 
			 (1) Not applicable. Space occupied on desk basis. 
		
	
	The Department does not own any properties on its estate. All of the properties occupied by the Department are either leased or are the subject of a licence or MOTO agreement. None of the properties occupied by the Department are subject to a private financial initiative agreement.
	MOTO stands for Memorandum of Terms of Occupation and is a type of licence agreement for the sharing of accommodation between government organisations known as “Crown bodies”.
	BIS is on course to save £84 million by reducing the number of buildings leased by the Department and its partner organisations. We constantly look at our property portfolio to ensure that all buildings are representing value for money.

Business: Billing

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage private businesses to sign up to a Prompt Payment Code; and what steps he plans to take should companies not do so.

Michael Fallon: I wrote to the chief executives of FTSE 350 companies in November urging them to sign up to the Prompt Payment Code, administered on behalf of Government by the Institute for Credit Management. The code's signatories commit to pay their suppliers on time, give clear guidance to suppliers and encourage good practice. The code gives small and medium-sized businesses confidence when dealing with larger suppliers that they are publically committed to paying promptly.
	The Government will publicise the results of this campaign shortly.

Copyright

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reason the estimate of the maximum benefits over 10 years of the Hargreaves reforms has been reduced from £26 billion on Hargreaves' initial report to a net present value of £790 million in the Government's response entitled Modernising Copyright.

Jo Swinson: Professor Hargreaves' independent report estimated that the potential benefits from making all the changes it recommended would add between £5 billion and £8 billion to the UK economy by 2020. This estimate included benefits from proposals that did not form part of the ‘Modernising Copyright’ response. The two biggest elements in the overall Hargreaves impact package which were not in Modernising Copyright were the creation of the single EU patent, and the Digital Copyright Exchange (DCE). The estimates in Hargreaves' report on copyright exceptions estimated that between £0.4 billion and £2.6 billion would be added by 2020.
	The Government's most recent assessment of the value of the changes to copyright exceptions, revised in the light of responses to the Hargreaves review and subsequent consultations, is around £0.5 billion over 10 years. However, this is a net present value figure discounted to today's terms, and does not use the same methodology as was used in the original Hargreaves report. It should be noted that the methodology for the impact assessment process, from which these figures are derived, can underestimate the growth from potential new businesses or new markets, and as such may not fully reflect the likely benefit of the changes.

Copyright

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will consult on the recommendations of the Hargreaves Review into IP and Growth that (a) the UK should also promote at EU level an exception to support text and data analytics and (b) the UK should give a lead at EU level to develop a further copyright exception designed to build into the EU framework adaptability to new technologies.

Jo Swinson: The Government has no plans to consult further on these specific recommendations. In its response to the Hargreaves review, published in August 2011, the Government indicated that it would aim to secure further flexibilities at EU level that enable greater adaptability to new technologies including use of data for research, would support a review of relevant EU legislation to this end and would be in dialogue with European partners to identify how this can best be achieved. Any review of relevant EU legislation, or consultation on it, would be a matter for the European Commission in the first instance.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department is signed up to the Government’s Cycle to Work scheme.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is committed to promoting healthier journeys to work and reducing environmental pollution.
	BIS currently has a Cycle to Work scheme available to all BIS employees subject to meeting the eligibility criteria. The scheme enables employees to make savings on a brand new bike and permitted accessories through tax exemptions.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who his Department’s cycling champion is.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not have an individual cycling champion.
	The Department has a strong dedicated ‘Cyclists in BIS’ network who provide help and guidance to BIS cyclists.

Cycling

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made on implementing the Cycle to Work guarantee.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to helping develop a healthier and fitter work force and has implemented the following for the Cycle to Work guarantee:
	Safe, secure and accessible bike parking facilities.
	Good quality changing and locker facilities.
	Bike repair for cyclists on site.
	Offsetting the cost of cycling equipment and tax savings through the ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme.
	‘Bike Buddies’ to help give tips and encouragement to staff who are nervous about cycling to work.
	Joined the Transport for London—Barclays Cycle Superhighways Workplace scheme.

Directors

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to prohibit the use of nominee directors of UK companies.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has no plans to prohibit the use of nominee directors by UK companies. However, BIS is currently reviewing the legal and enforcement framework that applies to all company directors, including nominee directors, to ensure that it continues to provide an effective deterrent to misconduct. The review will report to the Secretary of State in spring 2013.

Entertainers

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will introduce an entertainment-specific definition of when a person is a worker.

Jo Swinson: No, it would not be right to have job specific definitions for each employment status, including that of 'entertainment worker', as a definition may not cover all possibilities, be too rigid, and lead to unintended consequences.
	Guidance is available on all employment statuses at:
	www.gov.uk/employment-status
	This guidance sets out how each employment status can be defined and sets out the general principles for each.

Entertainers

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the Government's provision of sector-specific guidance on the national minimum wage for the entertainment sector.

Jo Swinson: We continue to work with the Government Digital Service to ensure that the guidance is as clear and comprehensive as possible.
	Guidance on the minimum wage is published at:
	www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage
	This includes guidance on whether or not a person is eligible for the minimum wage.
	Anyone concerned that they are eligible for the minimum wage but are not being paid it should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will adopt the carbon emissions factor calculated by the EU when determining the amount of compensation for energy-intensive industries; and how much additional compensation would be provided if such calculations were adopted;
	(2)  for what reasons the Government does not intend to provide the maximum amount of compensation allowed under EU State Aid rules to energy-intensive industries exposed to indirect costs associated with Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System; and whether additional funding will be released to ensure that compensation for EU Emissions Trading System indirect costs is competitive with other member states.

Michael Fallon: We recently held a consultation on our proposals for the compensation package for energy intensive industries which closed in December. As part of the consultation we received a number of comments on the carbon emissions factor. We are currently analysing responses and are exploring the issue further, including with energy suppliers and other stakeholders.
	We understand that not all EU member states are intending to compensate their energy intensive industries for the indirect costs for the EU ETS and those that will are still developing their proposals and have not published details.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether he will adopt the carbon emissions factor calculated by the EU when determining the amount of compensation to provide to energy-intensive industries affected by Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System; and what assessment he has made of how such a policy would affect the (a) amount and (b) geographic spread of compensation;
	(2)  if he will provide energy-intensive industries with the maximum amount of compensation permitted under state aid rules for costs associated with Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System;
	(3)  what plans he has to protect the long-term competitiveness of domestic energy-intensive industries; and when he expects to publish the energy-intensive industries strategy.

Michael Fallon: We are committed to ensuring that energy intensive industries remain competitive during the shift to a low carbon economy. This is why we have secured £250 million to help ease the impact of climate change policies. In addition, we announced that we will reduce the impact of electricity prices rising as a result of electricity market reform policies on electricity intensive industries, where this significantly impacts their international competitiveness and subject to consultation and state aid considerations.
	We are currently considering a proposal from the Environmental Audit Committee for an energy intensive industry strategy. We are in discussion with DECC on how we might draw on current work, including on sector specific low carbon roadmaps, to address this.
	We recently held a consultation on our proposals which were largely based on the European Commission's guidance for the compensation package for energy intensive industries which closed in December. As part of the consultation we received a number of comments on the carbon emissions factor. We are currently analysing responses and are exploring the issue further, including with energy suppliers and other stakeholders.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what comparative assessment his Department has made of the UK's proposed compensation for energy-intensive industries with that offered by other EU member states for EU Emissions Trading Scheme indirect costs;
	(2)  for what reasons the Government is using a carbon emissions factor that is lower than the EU's figure to calculate compensation for energy-intensive industries; and if he will estimate the difference in the level of compensation arising from not using the EU's carbon emissions factor;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects on the competitiveness of the UK's energy-intensive industries of not providing the maximum state aid permitted for energy costs associated with Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Michael Fallon: The Government accepts the importance of understanding the differential between the UK and other member states and are seeking to minimise the impact on the competitiveness of UK-based companies. We keep this under review and published last year an assessment of the difference in policy costs between the UK and various other countries. The European Commission published guidance last summer that all member states must adhere to when compensating for the indirect costs of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). We understand that not all EU member states are intending to compensate their energy intensive industries for the indirect costs for the EU ETS and those that will are still developing their proposals and have not published details.
	We recently held a consultation on our proposals for the compensation package for energy intensive industries which closed in December 2012. As part of the consultation we received a number of comments on the carbon emissions factor. We are currently analysing responses and are exploring the issue further, including with energy suppliers and other stakeholders.

EU Grants and Loans

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much EU transition funding the UK will receive in total; and how much each recipient region in the UK will receive in the next funding period.

Michael Fallon: The Government will be in a position to set out the total funding available to transition regions and the allocations to each of these areas, only after there is a final agreement between the European Parliament and member states.

EU Grants and Loans

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria he will use when allocating EU transition funding to regions of the UK.

Michael Fallon: The Government will make decisions on allocations of EU transition funding only after there is a final agreement between the European Parliament and member states. No decision has been made on what criteria will be used.

EU Grants and Loans

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the recently announced EU transition funding will be delegated to local enterprise partnerships.

Michael Fallon: The Government will be in a position to set out how much of the Structural Funds allocation will be available to local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), including those in transition regions, only after there is a final agreement between the European Parliament and member states.
	Within England, the majority of the Structural Funds will be allocated to LEPs. However, if there is a compelling case the Government may consider setting aside some funding for England-wide interventions. If this does happen, LEPs will be consulted fully to make sure the design of the intervention works for local areas.

EU Grants and Loans

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the budget approved for the EU Transition Fund for 2013-14 the Government will retain through top-slicing.

Michael Fallon: The Government will be in a position to set out how much total funding is available for transition regions only after there is a final agreement between the European Parliament and member states.

EU Grants and Loans

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of EU transition zone funding to the UK the Government plans to ring-fence for specific purposes;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the competitiveness of the economy of (a) Devon, (b) Torbay and (c) Plymouth of the existence of the Cornwall convergence region and its effect on the distribution of transition zone funding;
	(3)  what mechanism his Department plans to use to calculate the distribution of EU transition funding to the UK's transition zones.

Michael Fallon: The Government will make final decisions on allocations of EU transition funding only after there is an agreement between the European Parliament and member states on the 2014-20 budget. No decision has been made on what criteria will be used.

EU Grants and Loans

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of regional state aid rules on the distribution of EU transition zone funding in the UK.

Michael Fallon: The Government will make final decisions on the distribution of transition zone funding within the UK only after there is an agreement between the European Parliament and member states on the 2014- 20 budget. Regional state aid is one of a number of state aid frameworks through which structural funds will be distributed and we will be consulting on the Assisted Area Map during 2013.

EU Grants and Loans: Devon

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of (a) EU transition funds and (b) other EU funds the Government plans to distribute to Plymouth, Torbay and Devon in 2014 to 2020.

Michael Fallon: The Government will be in a position to set out how much total funding is available for transition regions and other areas only after there is a final agreement between the European Parliament and member states.

EU Grants and Loans: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of (a) EU transition funds and (b) other EU funds the Government plans to distribute to (i) Hull and (ii) Kingston upon Hull North constituency in the next 10 years.

Michael Fallon: The Government will make final decisions on allocations of EU transition funding only after there is an agreement between the European Parliament and member states on the 2014-20 budget. No decision has been made on what criteria will be used.

EU Grants and Loans: Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU budget negotiations on regional funding for Northern Ireland.

Michael Fallon: The Government will make final decisions on regional funding only after there is an agreement between the European Parliament and member states on the next EU budget.

EU Grants and Loans: South West

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the convergence funding in Cornwall on future distribution of EU transition funding in (a) Plymouth, (b) Torbay and (c) Devon.

Michael Fallon: The Government will be in a position to finally assess the effect of funding for less developed regions and the distribution of funding available for transition regions and other areas only after there is an agreement between the European Parliament and member states on the 2014-20 Budget.

Exports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to assist UK manufacturers of industrial fire safety and air extractor installations with sales in overseas markets; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: BIS support for exporters is delivered through UK Trade and Investment which offers a range of support to companies looking to trade overseas. These include counselling on the right markets and the right people to deal with in those markets, advice on grants for trade missions or overseas trade fairs, setting up meetings, and generally helping to make business happen.
	The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) also provides specialist strategic and technical advice to help manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in England improve their productivity and grow.

Exports: Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support the export of UK creative industry products.

Michael Fallon: As outlined in "Britain Open for Business" published in May 2011, Creative Industries is a priority for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). UKTI promotes the UK's creative strengths internationally working in partnership with the sector and supports the sector in maximising international opportunities through delivering practical support for innovative and high growth companies to help them penetrate more high growth and emerging markets.
	UKTI has a programme of support which helps over 3,000 creative companies per year at events around the globe. These include South by Southwest, MIPIM, Milan Furniture Fair, London Design Festival, London Fashion Week and MIPCOM. UKTI also organises around 20 creative missions to 10 markets per year.
	In addition, the creative industries are a major beneficiary of the Tradeshow Access Programme, which helps UK companies exhibit at overseas trade shows. Current figures for this financial year show that the sector will have received £2.3 million in support, 26% of the total budget for the scheme, which amounts to supporting more than 2,800 company participations at international events.
	The creative industries feature heavily in the cross Government GREAT campaign. The largest ever UK creative delegation to Hong Kong visited in November for the GREAT Week of Creativity and nearly 80 UK creative and interactive companies took part in the Innovation Forum in Los Angeles (a collaboration with Universal Music Group and Founders Forum) earlier this month.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jo Swinson: The amount of surplus food that is thrown away is not captured by the Department’s catering contractor. However, the amount of surplus is minimal as there are processes in place to keep food waste to a minimum, such as plating meals, batch cooking and using production and wastage control.
	Staff are also encouraged to dispose of food waste through collection points throughout the building. This waste is combined with waste from the restaurant and is collected and converted into energy through the process of anaerobic digestion.

Foreign Investment in UK: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the amount of foreign direct investment in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years; and how many jobs were created as a result of foreign direct investment in each such year.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment collects and verifies data on Foreign Direct Investment projects landing in the United Kingdom. The following table shows the official record of FDI projects landing in Brigg and Goole and Yorkshire and Humberside, over the last five years:
	
		
			  Brigg and Goole Yorkshire and Humber 
			 Financial year Projects Jobs Projects Jobs 
			 2011/12 3 742 49 3,700 
			 2010/11 0 0 88 1,538 
			 2009/10 2 8 147 5,911 
			 2008/09 1 50 125 6,588 
			 2007/08 2 250 124 6,311

Helmets: Sikhs

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on continuing the exemption for Sikhs from requirements to wear safety helmets on construction sites; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	There are no plans to change this exemption under the Employment Act.

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what the application rates were for UCAS' January deadline for each of the following UK-domiciled ethnic groups (a) Asian-Bangladeshi; (b) Asian-Chinese, (c) Asian-Indian, (d) Asian-other Asian background, (e) Asian-Pakistani, (f) Black-African, (g) Black-Caribbean, (h) Black-other Black background, (i) mixed-other mixed background, (j) Mixed-White and Asian, (k) Mixed-White and Black African, (l) Mixed-White and Black Caribbean, (m) unknown ethnicity and (n) White in each year since 2004;
	(2)  what the (a) application, (b) acceptance and (c) entry rates were for each of the following UK-domiciled ethnic groups (i) Asian-Bangladeshi, (ii) Asian-Chinese, (iii) Asian-Indian, (iv) Asian-other Asian background, (v) Asian-Pakistani, (vi) Black-African, (vii) Black-Caribbean, (viii) Black-other Black background, (ix) Mixed-other Mixed background, (x) Mixed-White and Asian, (xi) Mixed-White and Black African, (xii) Mixed-White and Black Caribbean, (xiii) Unknown ethnicity and (xiv) White in each UCAS application cycle since 2004.

David Willetts: The information is not held centrally. The Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) is an independent company not a Government body. Decisions as to what data to publish, and when, are therefore matters for UCAS.
	However, the Government is firmly committed to improving the information available about higher education through the key information set and other initiatives, and is in favour of transparency on who applies to and who attends higher education.

Insolvency

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to tackle the problems of people starting multiple limited liability companies and then declaring insolvency for tax purposes.

Jo Swinson: Insolvency law provides a variety of measures to deal with those who abuse the privileges of limited liability. When a company goes into administration, creditors voluntary liquidation or administrative receivership, the insolvency practitioner has a legal duty to report confidentially to the Government's Insolvency Service about the conduct of the directors. If misconduct is alleged the Secretary of State has the power to seek the director's disqualification where it is believed to be in the public interest.
	HMRC and the Insolvency Service have well established partnership arrangements to help to identify patterns of abuse and the individuals responsible, and these arrangements are regularly reviewed to make sure that they remain effective and up to date.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is also currently reviewing the legal and enforcement frameworks relating to company directors to ensure that they continue to provide an effective deterrent to malpractice.

Insolvency

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many limited liability companies have been declared insolvent in (a) the UK, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds North West constituency in the last three years.

Jo Swinson: Companies House has provided figures which indicate that in the last three years 71,319 companies have been declared insolvent in the UK, 2,374 in Leeds and 120 in the Leeds North West constituency.
	However, I would warn that the figures for Leeds and the Leeds North West constituency cannot be considered definitive as Companies House’s data is extracted from postcode areas, which can cross county and constituency boundaries.

Intellectual Property

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure the IP framework encourages the creation of new content.

Jo Swinson: Intellectual property rights provide an incentive to invest in the creation of new content by allowing creators a time-limited, exclusive right to exploit their intellectual creations, subject to some exceptions for important purposes such as free speech. Creation of new content, in the sense of creative works, is largely incentivised through copyright.
	Unlawful copying can reduce the incentive to create content. The Government is therefore working to cut copyright infringement in a number of ways, including through the introduction of a notification scheme for possible online infringers through the Digital Economy Act, measures to cut off illegal websites from credit card payments and advertising revenue, and ongoing action against importers and sellers of pirated DVDs and the like. It has reformed the IP court system to make it easier to get justice at proportional cost. In December, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), announced the Government wanted to do more with industry to educate consumers about the harms of copyright infringement and the need to obtain content lawfully. He also indicated that the Government was exploring with the City of London police the setting up of a new IP Crime Unit focused on online piracy.

Means-tested Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what cash and non-cash means-tested benefits are provided by his Department; what the rules are in respect of means-testing for each such benefit; and how much his Department spent on each in 2011-12.

Jo Swinson: The core Department does not provide any cash or non-cash means-tested benefits.

Mobile Phones

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his answer of 15 September 2011, Official Report, column 1357W, on mobile phones, what further progress he has made towards a standard charger for mobile telephones.

Michael Fallon: We understand from the industry that the vast majority of new mobile phones being launched on to the market support the universal charging connector referred to in the answer given by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk), now Minister of State for Housing, on 15 September 2011, Official Report, column 1357W.

Multinational Companies

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many multinational companies have been given access to Ministers under the Government's strategic relations programme; and to which Ministers these multinational companies have been given access.

Michael Fallon: The Government is committed to a whole-Government approach to developing strategic relationships with major exporters and investors. Ministers play an important part in helping to develop and sustain winning relationships with these investors and exporters to deliver jobs and economic growth. The full list of companies and respective contact Ministers is available here:
	http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/item/203560.html

Overseas Trade: Israel

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote trade with Israel.

Michael Fallon: We have set up the UK Israel Tech Hub at our embassy in Tel Aviv to build on strengths and complementarities between the UK and Israel in technology, innovation and business. The Hub promotes collaboration between Israeli and British entrepreneurs, companies and investors in key sectors including digital tech, life sciences, cleantech, financial technology and the Arab tech sector.
	We recently appointed an experienced and highly successful UK entrepreneur, Mr Saul Klein, to be the UK's first Tech Envoy and, because of its tremendous advances in technology, we chose Israel to be the country on which to focus to promote the tech relationship with the UK.
	Our UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) team at the embassy in Tel Aviv has helped, and will continue to help, UK companies to export to Israel through UKTI's range of marketing services.
	My noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Green, will be visiting Israel in March 2013 at the head of an oil and gas business delegation to promote UK expertise into Israel's young oil and gas sector.
	Two-way trade in goods with Israel continues to grow and last year reached £3.8 billion, with UK exports to Israel at £1.5 billion.

Overseas Trade: Israel

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of the UK's bilateral trade with Israel.

Michael Fallon: The Office for National Statistics publish estimates of the value of the UK’s trade with Israel in Table 9.3 of the Pink Book 2012 publication, available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom-balance-of-payments/index.html

Post Offices

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2012, Official Report, column 276W, on post offices, what assessment he has made of (a) the extent and (b) the adequacy of the provision of (i) vehicle tax disc renewals, (ii) driving licences, (iii) passport applications and (iv) collections of biometric data for residence permits by post offices; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: The Post Office network is the largest and most geographically comprehensive retail network in the UK, with an unrivalled reach particularly in remote rural communities. However, the availability of specific Government services—including those listed—across the Post Office network is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd and the Departments and Agencies with which it works. Paula Vennells, Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd, responded to a similar question in October 2012, and a copy of that response is available in the Libraries of the House (DEP2012-1610). It is a matter for the Department or Agency on whose behalf Post Office Ltd provides access to determine what constitutes adequate provision.

Property: Ownership

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the recent sale of the Headquarters of Platinum Prime Property Investments Ltd in the British Virgin Islands, whether he has any plans to require the disclosure of the beneficial ownership of UK property.

Jo Swinson: The Government has acknowledged concerns about the potential abuse of arrangements for hidden ownership and we have made clear that we will seek to tackle abuse of corporate entities. However, the Government currently has no plans to require disclosure of the beneficial ownership of UK property.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to his statement of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 33WS, on Regional Growth Fund: Update, whether the Independent Advisory Panel to the Regional Growth Fund will be providing independent advice to his Department for the exceptional Regional Growth Fund;
	(2)  what additional independent sources of advice (a) he and (b) his officials will seek when considering bids to the exceptional Regional Growth Fund apart from the existing Independent Advisory Panel to the Regional Growth Fund.

Michael Fallon: All applications for exceptional support from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) will be scrutinised by my noble Friends Lord Heseltine and Lord Shipley, as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel. Their comments and recommendations will then be considered, alongside advice from officials, by Ministers who will make final decisions.
	In formulating their advice officials will seek the advice of the Industrial Development Advisory Board, which has a statutory role to advise the Secretary of State on the use of his powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Industrial Development Act. This board has considerable private sector expertise and will provide independent expert advice on all exceptional RGF applications seeking support of £2 million or more, and those applications for less than £2 million which are considered novel, contentious or repercussive.
	Finally, all awards will be subject to independent due diligence before being finalised.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to his statement of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 33WS, on Regional Growth Fund: Update, what reason each individual bidder who has withdrawn from the Regional Growth Fund gave as the basis of their withdrawal;
	(2)  if he will provide a breakdown of the withdrawn bids from the first two rounds of the Regional Growth Fund by English administrative region;
	(3)  how many bids that have withdrawn from the Regional Growth Fund to date were from (a) Round 1 and (b) Round 2.

Michael Fallon: There are various reasons for withdrawals of bids from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). These include global market conditions; realisation through the due diligence process that the project could not be supported (including on state aid grounds); and changes in senior management or parent company strategy. Listing the specific reason for each withdrawal may prejudice the future commercial interests of the company but all bids have been withdrawn because they are not going to deliver the benefits forecast in the bid.
	The following table details the bids that have withdrawn from Round 1 and 2 of the RGF and the English administrative region. Please note that the recent WMS (11 February 2013) which listed withdrawn bidders for all three rounds included six withdrawals from Round 3.
	
		
			 No Name of beneficiary RGF Round Region 
			 1 A&P Tyne Ltd 2 North East 
			 2 Ames Goldsmith UK Ltd 1 North West 
			 3 C&C Baseline Ltd 2 North West 
			 4 Caparo Precision Strip 2 West Midlands 
			 5 Carlton & Co 2 North East 
			 6 CE3—Conitech(1) 1 North East 
			 7 CE4—Verta Energy 1 North East 
			 8 Cleveland Potash Ltd 1 North East 
			 9 CT5—Exhausto Ltd(2) 1 South East 
			 10 CT7—Aggregate Industries Ltd 1 East Midlands 
			 11 CT8—W.D. Irwin & Sons 1 West Midlands 
			 12 CT9—Arla 1 Y&H 
			 13 Cumbrian Holdings 1 North East 
			 14 Diodes Zetex Semiconductors Ltd 2 North West 
			 15 Disley Tissues Ltd 2 North West 
			 16 Federal-Mogul Friction Product 2 East Midlands 
			 17 Heerema Hartlepool Ltd 2 North East 
			 18 Huntsman Polyurethanes (UK) Ltd 2 North East 
			 19 I-Plas Products Ltd 2 Y&H 
			 20 J & B Recycling Ltd 2 North East 
		
	
	
		
			 21 Messier-Dowty Ltd 1 South West 
			 22 Nissan UK P3 1 North East 
			 23 Northern Tissue Group Ltd 2 North West 
			 24 PD Teesport 2 North East 
			 25 Pilkington United Kingdom Ltd 2 North West 
			 26 Rapsican Systems 2 West Midlands 
			 27 Shepherd Offshore Ltd 2 North East 
			 28 Sirius Minerals 2 Y&H 
			 29 St Modwen Properties 2 West Midlands 
			 30 Stainless Plating Ltd 2 Y&H 
			 31 Sunsolar Ltd 2 West Midlands 
			 32 T&N Plastics 2 Y&H 
			 33 Tameside/Monopumps 1 North West 
			 34 Thales Properties Ltd (Leicester) 1 East Midlands 
			 35 The Listen Media Company Ltd 2 North West 
			 36 Treves UK Ltd. 2 Y&H 
			 37 Universal Engineering 2 South West 
			 38 Vestas Technology UK Ltd 2 South East 
			 39 Zegen (Wilton) Ltd 2 North East 
			 (1) CE is the Chirton Engineering package of projects (2) CT is the Carbon Trust package of projects

Regional Growth Fund

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has commissioned an independent analysis of the number of jobs (a) directly and (b) indirectly created and safeguarded as a result of Regional Growth Fund rounds (i) 1, (ii) 2 and (iii) 3.

Michael Fallon: Jobs created and safeguarded, either directly or indirectly, as a result of Regional Growth Fund (RGF) rounds 1, 2, and 3 are monitored and evaluated in a consistent manner.
	First, each project is required to submit an independent accountant’s report at least once each year, usually with their final grant claim for that financial year. In this report, the independent accountant must satisfy his or herself that the employment created or safeguarded as a result of the RGF award are of the number and at the skill level claimed by the beneficiary, and set out as a key performance indicator in the RGF offer letter.
	Second, in addition to the case-by-case monitoring of job outputs, the RGF itself will be subject to a thorough independent evaluation at the programme level. Part of that evaluation will involve an impact evaluation primarily to test whether:
	the key RGF outputs and outcomes were achieved;
	the outputs were achieved because of RGF intervention;
	the RGF successfully addressed the objectives it was set up to address; and
	there is evidence of any significant displacement, spill over, or other effects.

Regional Growth Fund: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the Regional Growth Fund on job creation in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency.

Michael Fallon: Some £34.5 million of Regional Growth Fund has been awarded to three projects in the Kingston-upon-Hull local authority area:
	Hull city council/Keepmoat Homes—Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
	JH Fenner & Co. Ltd—Kingston upon Hull East
	East Riding of Yorkshire council (with Hull city council)—Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
	While these projects are not located in the Hull North constituency, the forecast £411 million of additional private sector investment and 2,038 direct and 11,101 indirect jobs resulting from them will create significant employment opportunities across the entire city.
	In addition, the Humber local enterprise partnerships (LEP) has a selected Regional Growth Fund (RGF) Round 3 Programme—“Growing the Humber” to
	“grow the areas key industry base through providing a programme of funding support to encourage investment from new and existing businesses”
	across all of Hull.
	Jobs created and safeguarded as a result of the RGF are subject to consistent monitoring and evaluation across England. All recipients of RGF are obliged to keep records of the location of jobs thereby created or safeguarded. Each project is required to submit an independent accountant's report at least once each year, usually with their final grant claim for that financial year. In this report the independent accountant must be satisfied that the jobs created are of the number and at the educational level claimed by the beneficiary. As well as the case-by-case assessment of job outputs, the whole RGF programme will be subject to a thorough independent evaluation.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) repealed or simplified 20 regulations between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. This has resulted in cost savings to business of £393 million, reduced the burden of regulation on business and simplified the regulatory landscape.
	The measures are listed in the Fourth and Fifth Statement of New Regulations published on the gov.uk website.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; if he will list those regulations; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of their introduction.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has introduced 29 regulations between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. The Statements of New Regulations 4 and 5, published on the BIS website in June 2012 and December 2012, give details of all measures that are within the scope of the One-In, One-Out methodology, measures dealt under the Red Tape Challenge and EU measures introduced in January 2013 (see following links). Impact Assessments for all the regulations are also published on the IA library. The costs to business of introduction are set out in the following table—provision of information on the total cost of introduction (which include, for example, staff time in developing and drafting these regulations) can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/31643/12-p121b-bis-fourth-statement-new-regulation-july-december-2012.pdf
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36595/12-p96b-one-in-one-out-fourth-statement-new-regulation.pdf
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36833/12-p96c-fifth-statement-of-new-regulation.pdf
	
		
			  Regulation  Date Cost (£ million) 
			 1 Land Registry Fee Order 2012 The order replaces the Land Registry Fee Order 2009. It makes changes to land registry fees, decreasing many of them. October 2012 -5.08 
			 2 The Registrar of Companies (Fees) (Companies, Overseas Companies and Liability Partnerships) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/1907) The Registrar of Companies (Fees) (European Economic Interest Grouping and European Public Limited—Liability Company) Regulations 2009 (SI 2012/1908) To align company registration and search fees with costs. October 2012 -2.89 
			 3 The Cosmetic Products (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 Amends the main directive by setting limits on hydrogen peroxide allowed in teeth whitening products. October 2012 0 
			 4 The Student Fees (Basic and Higher Amounts) (Approved Plans) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 To amend existing regulations to raise, in line with inflation, the fee caps that apply to full-time courses that started before 1 September 2012. August and September 2012 0 
			 5 The Insolvency Practitioners and Insolvency Services Account (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2012 To implement changes in insolvency fees as recommended by the main annual fees review. October 2012 0 
			 6 National minimum wage up-rating 2012 To implement annual changes to the national minimum wage rates. October 2012 0 
			 7 The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (Transitional and Consequential Provisions—Disqualification General) Order 2012 Replicates the restrictions bankruptcy orders place on individuals to hold certain offices or public positions to Debt Relief Orders and Debt Relief Restriction Orders. October 2012 0 
			 8 Changes to provisions which allow merging of registered trade marks Simplification of the process for businesses registering and renewing trademarks with the Intellectual Property Office. October 2012 0 
			 9 Audit and Financial Reporting under Companies Act 2006 To align the UK audit and certain financial reporting requirements with existing EU law to permit more small companies and UK subsidiary companies to opt out of annual audit and certain financial reporting requirements for dormant subsidiary companies. October 2012 -100 
			 10 Change of accounting framework To give companies more flexibility to switch their accounting framework from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP). October 2012 -2.08 
			 11 The Accounting Standards (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations 2012 To allow specified companies, over a three-year period, to change their accounting principles from US or Japanese Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to UK GAAP or International Accounting Standards. October 2012 -1.10 
			 12 Repeal of Bunk Beds (Entrapment Hazards) (Safety) Regulations 1987 This repeals regulation protecting children from certain risks associated with bunk beds; redundant now that consumer protection is covered by General Products Safety Regulations. October 2012 0 
			 13 Repeal of Children's Clothing (Hood Cords) Regulations 1976 This repeals legislation that ensured that hood cords in outerwear do not pose a risk to children; now redundant as it is covered by General Products Safety Regulation. October 2012 0 
			 14 Repeal of Imitation Dummies (Safety) Regulations 1993 This repeals legislation that prohibited the supply of specific goods which could be mistaken for dummies and potentially cause injury or death to children. Legislation is no longer regarded as necessary as such products are no longer sold. October 2012 0 
		
	
	
		
			 15 Repeal of Wheeled Child Conveyances (Safety) Regulations 1997 This repeals legislation that requires prams and pushchairs to meet specific safety standards, as consumer protection is now covered by General Product Safety Regulations. October 2012 0 
			 16 Repeal of Indication of Prices (Beds) Order 1978 This regulation prohibits anyone selling a bed from indicating at what price it can be resold at. It also prohibits, except in circumstances set out in the order, dual price marking of beds. The objectives of this order were superseded by the Competition Act 1998 which prohibited all forms of price fixing. October 2012 0 
			 17 Repeal of Cooking Utensils (Safety) Regulations 1972 This regulation restricted cooking utensils from being coated in dangerous metals which can endanger health. It is now redundant due to newer EU Regulations 1935/2004 in addition to the European Directive 84/500/EC which sets limits for lead and cadmium in food contact materials. October 2012 0 
			 18 Repeal of Child Resistant Packaging and Tactile Danger Warning (Safety) (Revocation) Regulations 1992 This repeals legislation introduced to revoke the Child Resistant Packaging and Tactile Danger Warnings (Safety) Regulations 1992.This is now redundant due to the introduction of Regulation 1272/2008/EC which regulates certain types of re-closable packaging. October 2012 0 
			 19 Amendment of the Hallmarking Act 1973 This simplifies the Hallmarking Act to enable UK Assay Offices to better compete with overseas competitors by allowing them, for the first time, to conduct hallmarking operations in offshore locations. October 2012 0 
			 20 Introducing a Voluntary Code for Age Restrictions Regulations This introduces a voluntary code of practice that has been developed alongside business, local authority and enforcement stakeholders for age restricted products such as alcohol, tobacco and solvents. October 2012 0 
			 21 Repeal of unnecessary product safety regulations The repeal of six unnecessary product safety Statutory Instruments as all are covered by the General Product Safety Regulations and/or other regulations. They are: All-Terrain Vehicles (Safety) Regulations 1989, Gas Catalytic Heaters (Safety) Regulations 1984, Gas Cooking Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1989, Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Regulations 1991, Magnetic Toys (Safety) (Revocation) Regulations 2009 and Stands for Carrycots (Safety) (Revocation) Regulations 1996. October 2012 0 
			 22 Repeal of redundant regulations on the iron and steel industries (EU) These regulations relate to a historical scheme for the payment of benefits to certain steel workers. The scheme was terminated in 1994 with limited transitional provisions. These regulations no longer contain any relevant operative provisions and are now redundant. October 2012 0 
			 23 Revocation of the Export of Goods (Control) (Bosnia-Herzegovina) (ECSC) Order 1993 This order revoked an earlier order which banned the export of goods covered by the ECSC Treaty (coal and steel) to Bosnia-Herzegovina without authorisation. The relevant EU Decision was revoked and replaced by a ban on the export without authorisation of all goods to Bosnia-Herzegovina contained in the Export of Goods (Control) (Croatian and Bosnian Territories) Order 1993, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 820 (1993). Revoking this revocation order will have no legal effect. August 2012 0 
			 24 Revocation of the Export of Goods (Control)(Haiti) Order 1993 This repeals the redundant export control order implementing trade sanctions and arms embargoes imposed by legally-binding United Nations Security Council Resolutions and Decisions of the Council of the EU against Haiti. It sets out the penalties for breaches of the sanctions. Revoking this revocation order will have no legal effect. August 2012 0 
			 25 Revocation of the Export of Goods (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) (Control) Order 2002 This repeals the redundant export control order implementing trade sanctions and arms embargoes imposed by legally-binding United Nations Security Council Resolutions and Decisions of the Council of the EU against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It sets out the penalties for breaches of the sanctions. Revoking this revocation order will have no legal effect. August 2012 0 
			 26 EU Directive 2011/90/EU—Additional Annual Percentage Rates (APR) Assumptions To enable annual interest percentage charge rates being quoted to be much closer to the actual charges likely to be incurred, especially when lending on credit and charge cards. January 2013 +0.29 
			 27 Revocation of Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 2008 & 2009 To replace existing legislation, with one regulation that will implement the new EU Directive on Hazardous Substances (2011/65/EU). January 2013 0 
			 28 Recast of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive To lay down the rules for the inclusion of certain hazardous substances (i.e. lead, mercury, cadmium) in newly sold electrical and electronic equipment. January 2013 +35 
		
	
	
		
			 29 The Further Education Teachers' Continuing Professional Development and Registration (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012 Removes statutory requirements in the 2007/2116 regulations in respect of the Institute of learning. September 2012 0

Reptiles

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many CITES and non-CITES listed reptiles as recorded under Eurostat have been imported into the EU in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The number of reptiles imported into the EU27 since 2002 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2002 1,301,082 
			 2003 1,502,249 
			 2004 1,796,257 
			 2005 1,634,660 
			 2006 2,252,465 
			 2007 2,903,626 
			 2008 2,488,852 
			 2009 1,815,919 
			 2010 1,558,047 
			 2011 1,647,107 
			 Notes: 1. Data for 2001 are not available. 2. Data cannot be broken down into CITES and non-CITES listed reptiles. Source: Eurostat

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows the number of staff(1) in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) broken down by their building location.
	
		
			 Building Number of staff 
			 1 Victoria street 2,703 
			 2 St Paul's Place 258 
			 Alexandra House 16 
			 Apex Court 29 
			 Arndale Tower 19 
			 The Business Centre 7 
			 The Axis—Birmingham 35 
			 Bridge House 13 
			 Cannon House 1 
			 Castle View House 9 
			 Companies House 62 
			 Europa Building 41 
			 Exchange House 21 
			 IOS Manchester 18 
			 Larkhill 2 
			 Moongate House 21 
			 Mowden Hall 10 
			 NTI Building, Birmingham 22 
			 Queensway House 5 
			 Stanley Barracks 1 
			 Temple Quays 14 
			 UKTI, Warrington 11 
			 Victoria House 38 
			 Westfield House 22 
			 Out of Deptartment(2) 61 
			 Grand total 3,439 
			 (1) Numbers include all staff on BIS (including UKTI) payroll and contingent workers at 31 January 2013. (2) Staff out of Department but still on BIS payroll. 
		
	
	BIS does not pay costs for the occupancy of Cannon House, Castle View House, Larkhill, Mowden Hall or Stanley Barracks. There are additional staff in Queensway House working on BIS corporate services under a shared service agreement who are not included in the numbers above.
	BIS is on course to save £84 million by reducing the number of buildings leased by the Department and its partner organisations. We constantly look at our property portfolio to ensure that all buildings are representing value for money.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for a wide range of statutory obligations. Full details of the Department's responsibilities and their implementation are available in the Department's published business plan:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/31960/12-p58-bis-2012-business-plan.pdf
	Latest headcount and paybill information can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-workforce-management-april-2012-to-october-2012

Student Finance England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff were employed by Student Finance England in each quarter from 2008 to 2013.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company (SLC) provides student finance services for the four UK administrations. The following table provides the number of full time equivalent staff employed (permanent and temporary) by the SLC. It is not possible to isolate staff delivering the Student Finance England (SFE) service as the company is not structured in this way.
	
		
			 Number of staff employed by Student Loans Company(1) 
			  January to March April to June July to September October to December 
			 2008 1,362 1,497 1,645 1,769 
			 2009 1,877 1,856 1,851 1,847 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 1,801 1,839 1,835 1,874 
			 2011 1,910 1,948 1,882 1,864 
			 2012 1,902 1,993 2,197 2,238

Student Finance England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints were received by Student Finance England regarding lost documents in each of the last 12 months.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company (SLC) provides student finance services for the four UK administrations. The following table provides the number of complaints received regarding lost evidence by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in relation to the Student Finance England (SFE) service from May 2012.
	Prior to May 2012 it was not possible to isolate complaints employed under SFE as data was not classified in this format by the SLC. SLC updated its complaints database in May 2012 which allowed complaints specific to SFE service to be reported.
	The SFE service received in excess of 1.7 million items of evidence in 2012.
	
		
			 Complaints received by SFE about lost evidence 
			  Number 
			 May 2012 30 
			 June 2012 18 
			 July 2012 41 
			 August 2012 39 
			 September 2012 44 
			 October 2012 57 
			 November 2012 46 
			 December 2012 39 
			 January 2013 38

Student Finance England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what compensation was paid by Student Finance England in respect of lost documents in each of the last three years; and how many claims were made for lost documents in which Student Finance England gave compensation in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company (SLC) provides student finance services for the four UK administrations. It is not possible to isolate claims from applicants of the Student Finance England (SFE) service as the data is not held in this format on the SLC's systems for recording compensation payments.
	
		
			 Number of claims to SLC for compensation for lost documents 
			  Number of claims Amount of compensation (£) 
			 2010 134 10,767.29 
			 2011 111 6,321.40 
			 2012 51 2,230.69

Student Loans Company

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy that the Student Loans Company records all documents which it receives by recorded delivery and provides appropriate and timely compensation when any such documents are lost.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has robust procedures in place for the recording of special and recorded delivery documents; and for making appropriate compensation payments in respect of the loss of such documents.
	As part of a process agreed with SLC, Royal Mail staff scan all recorded and special delivery documents individually; and then update their track and trace website to ensure that each item is delivered to the SLC. Each of these documents is then recorded by SLC on receipt, to ensure that both parties can reconcile each delivered item.
	All items of postage received by SLC, including documentation received by special or recorded delivery, are scanned onto SLC's systems. Original documents are returned to the customer with details of the return logged on SLC's systems.
	SLC considers compensation claims on a case by case basis. It will normally make compensation payments for lost documents where it has a record of receiving the documentation.

Students: Loans

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in implementing an alternative student loan system for those members of the Muslim community who are unable to make use of the traditional financing system due to their religious convictions; when any legislative proposals to create such a system will be introduced; and when such a system is expected to be fully operable.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has identified several potential models that could allow a Shariah-compliant student loan to be offered through the Student Loans Company. These would provide students with the same level of financial support and ensure identical repayments as conventional student loans. We are currently investigating the tax and VAT implications of these models, as well as the legislative requirements for implementing them to determine the most suitable. There are currently no plans for legislation as the need for this is dependent on the preferred model.
	Any system for providing Shariah-compliant student loans is unlikely to be in operation before 2015 given the complexity associated with implementing a new model for offering loans.

UK Intellectual Property Office

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the statutory duties of the Intellectual Property Office is in relation to (a) trademarks, (b) patents, (c) copyright and (d) design.

Jo Swinson: In relation to trade marks, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)'s statutory duties are laid out in full in the UK Trade Marks Act 1994. Its duties are primarily concerned with the registration and maintenance of trade, certification and collective marks, together with the provision of a tribunal function for adjudicating on disputes relating to such rights. In particular, the IPO examines all trade mark applications to ensure their suitability for registration; publishes those marks which are acceptable; decides on issues of similarity and use in trade; and maintains a register of marks.
	The IPO has similar statutory duties in relation to patents, which are laid out in the Patents Act 1977. Its duties include the scrutiny of patent applications, the publication of such patent applications, and the granting of patents. The IPO is also responsible for maintaining a register and providing information about patents and published patent applications and for providing a tribunal function for resolving disputes in relation to patent applications and patents. In addition the IPO is responsible for performing various functions in accordance with international patent treaties.
	The IPO has no statutory functions in relation to copyright.
	For registered design, the IPO’s statutory responsibilities are similar. In summary, the IPO is responsible for maintaining a register of all rights granted, and also provides a tribunal function for dealing with disputes. For unregistered design rights, where protection subsists automatically on creation of a new design, the IPO’s statutory obligations are more limited, being confined to adjudicating on the validity of a design, and on the terms of a licence of right. The full range of statutory duties for both registered and unregistered design is laid out in the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Unfair Dismissal

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure a balance between employer and employee rights in cases of unfair dismissal.

Jo Swinson: The principle of seeking flexibility for employers while protecting individual rights underpins the Government's employment law reforms. While we are taking forward a package of measures to improve the way businesses hire, manage and end employment relationships, including the extension of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from one year to two years this is balanced against the reforms to resolve workplace disputes earlier to help both parties. Individuals also retain important rights from the first day of employment. Our broader changes on flexible working and shared parental leave are an important part of the picture to enable individuals to balance their personal and work commitments, and facilitate greater participation in the workplace.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not have any members of staff employed in (a) Hull or (b) East Yorkshire.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Algeria

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of respect for human rights in Algeria.

Alistair Burt: We continue to monitor political and social developments in Algeria, including the human rights situation.
	Algeria has a National Office for Human Rights and has made public commitments to upholding human rights and has legislation reflecting this commitment. Algeria has ratified most international human right treaties and has expressed an interest in signing others it has not yet signed. Algeria has undertaken reforms of its prisons in recent years, and the UK has contributed to this work via our Arab Partnership fund. Alongside other work with the international community, the UK also contributed to Algeria’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN in May last year. We look forward to working in partnership with Algeria, including via the EU, on a number of the recommendations made at the last session. And the British embassy in Algiers participated in a de-briefing following the visit to Algeria by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in September 2012. Further information on the visit is available at:
	http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12542&LangID=E

Azerbaijan

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the extent of the trade in illicit firearms and military material in Azerbaijan; and what steps he is taking with (a) the Azeri Government and (b) international actors to reduce this trade.

David Lidington: The UK Government does not undertake national assessments of the trade in illicit firearms and military material with other countries, but supports the work of the UN Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Plan of Action on SALW. These programmes aim to counter the spread and eradicate the trade and accumulation of illicit SALW. Since the 1990s, the OSCE has worked at the forefront of international efforts to curb this illicit trade and to develop effective national and regional practices to control SALW. Azerbaijan participates in both programmes.

Azerbaijan

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Azerbaijani Government on human rights abuses in the run-up to the presidential election.

David Lidington: The UK Government raises issues of concern on human rights with the Azerbaijan authorities on a regular basis through bilateral contacts and with multilateral partners, most recently with EU colleagues in the cases of Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu. With the presidential election planned for October this year, we will continue to raise issues of concern as they arise and call on the Azerbaijan authorities to create an open political space that will allow potential presidential candidates, political activists and journalists to carry out their legitimate activities freely and without fear of harassment.

Azerbaijan

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the commitment of the Azeri Government to civil and political freedoms; and what representations he has made to the Azeri Government on improving human rights in Azerbaijan.

David Lidington: The UK Government recognises that Azerbaijan has signed up to a range of international human rights commitments through its membership of the United Nations and Council of Europe, and participation at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). However, we and our European partners are disappointed at the slow progress being made in areas such as freedom of the press, speech and association, where reform is needed to bring Azerbaijan closer to international standards. The UK Government raises issues of concern on human rights with the Azerbaijan authorities on a regular basis through bilateral contacts and with multilateral partners.

Azerbaijan

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking independently and together with the EU and his international counterparts to encourage the Azeri Government to adhere to the European convention of human rights.

David Lidington: The UK Government has been consistent in its call for Azerbaijan to adhere to the human rights commitments it has entered into, including the European convention of human rights, both in bilateral contacts and with multilateral partners. The UK Government also raises specific issues of concern on human rights with the Azerbaijan authorities on a regular basis through bilateral contacts and with partners. The UK is committed to using opportunities such as the annual EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council, Azerbaijan's Universal Periodic Review in April and its Chairmanship of the Council of Europe in 2014 to continue to highlight human rights issues and press for progress on issues of concern.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Bahrain on the decision by that country's Ministry of Health to dismiss eight medical professionals convicted in connection with providing medical care to protestors during 2011.

Alistair Burt: We have made clear to the Bahraini Government the importance of ensuring due process in all cases, to allow defendants access to legal counsel and for trials to be independent and impartial. In this specific case, the authorities say that the medical personnel were dismissed following convictions for taking part in illegal gatherings and incitement of violence, but not for providing medical care to protestors during 2011 as the hon. Member states in her question.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the detention and reported torture of Ahmed Humaidan in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of the case of Mr Ahmed Humaidan, who has been in detention since the end of December. The first hearing of his trial, along with 32 other defendants, was heard earlier this month. We continue to urge the Bahraini authorities to ensure that due process is carefully and transparently followed in all cases. We expect civil liberties to be protected and for Bahrain to adhere to its international human rights obligations.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the monitoring of the use of tear gas and protest-related injuries in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have previously made clear to the Bahraini authorities our concerns about the indiscriminate use of tear gas and the need to exercise all possible restraint when handling public order situations; but I have not had any specific conversations with my ministerial colleagues about the use of tear gas and protest-related injuries in Bahrain. We do continue to monitor the situation very closely and take note of the concerns raised by Human Rights Non-Governmental Organisations.

Bahrain

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the level of respect for human rights by the Government of Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: We believe the Government of Bahrain remains committed to improving its human rights record as recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and during the Universal Periodic Review process last year. The visit of a team of technical experts from the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in December is a positive step and we hope will provide the authorities with the further assistance needed.
	We continue to work closely with the Bahraini Ministry of Human Rights and the Ministry of Justice in particular. For example, in mid-January, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded a visit to Bahrain by officials from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of prison to share best practice on national preventive mechanisms against torture in detention centres and conducting independent inspections. We also hosted the recently appointed independent Police Ombudsman, the first in the Gulf, on a visit to the UK and Northern Ireland.

Bahrain

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on progress in implementing the Bassiouni Report in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: Our ambassador and his team are in regular contact with the Bahraini Minister for Justice, who leads the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) follow-up unit. The unit published a report at the end of last year which detailed progress made since the BICI made their recommendations in November 2011. Progress has been made in certain areas, but there is still more work to be done and we continue to raise this with the authorities. As I said in my conversation with the Foreign Minister last week, we remain supportive of the reforms already under way and will continue to provide assistance where appropriate to help bring long-term stability to the Kingdom.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which EU member states require UK nationals seeking to reside in those countries for more than three months to apply for a residency card or certificate; when such controls were introduced in each country; and what information his Department holds on how many UK citizens have been issued with such cards or certificates in each such country.

Hugo Swire: As details are not held centrally this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has over 4,700 properties in over 270 locations around the world. It would not be possible to provide the level of detail requested in the time scale and it would also be at disproportionate cost.
	A list of owned offices world-wide was provided in my answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, column 322W. A copy has been placed in the Commons Library. Overseas, we own a total of 2,312 buildings (including those for residential use) and rent 2,380 buildings (again including those for residential use).

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has over 4,700 properties in over 270 locations around the world. It would not be possible to provide the level of detail requested in the time scale and it would also be at disproportionate cost.
	A list of owned offices world-wide was provided in my answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, column 322W. A copy has been placed in the Commons Library. Overseas, we own a total of 2,312 buildings (including those for residential use) and rent 2,380 buildings (again including those for residential use).

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has over 4,700 properties in over 270 locations around the world. It would not be possible to provide the level of detail requested in the time scale and it would also be at disproportionate cost.
	A list of owned offices world-wide was provided in my answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, column 322W. A copy has been placed in the Commons Library. Overseas, we own a total of 2,312 buildings (including those for residential use) and rent 2,380 buildings (again including those for residential use).

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under which conditions suspension of EU sanctions against Burma would occur.

Hugo Swire: The EU reviews sanctions annually to ensure that all designations continue to meet legal criteria, and to consider how the sanctions package can best support the process of reform in Burma.
	On 23 April 2012, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to suspend all EU sanctions on Burma for one year, apart from the arms embargo and restrictions on the supply of equipment which could be used for international repression.

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on increased land confiscation in Burma.

Hugo Swire: We are aware of reports concerning the risks of land confiscation in Burma. During his recent visit to Burma this month Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, reported the potential for development projects to have a detrimental effect on the human rights of the people of Burma through land confiscation and forced eviction.
	Since the suspension of EU sanctions in April 2012, the British Government has promoted responsible trade and investment in support of Burma's democratic reform process. The British Government urges all UK companies entering Burma to abide by international standards of corporate governance and social and environmental responsibility. In particular, this means adhering to the OECD guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on Burmese laws and their compatibility with Burma's international human rights obligations; and what representations he has made to the Burmese government on this matter.

Hugo Swire: The Burmese Government has emphasised that establishing the rule of law across Burma is a priority. However, it has yet to sign and ratify important treaties which will embed international human rights norms into its legal system, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture, and the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court.
	The Burmese Parliament is currently reviewing all Burmese laws and we are working closely with them to help increase their capacity to draft and scrutinise legislation.
	I called on the Burmese Government to sign the ICCPR and other international human rights treaties during my visit to .Burma in December 2012. British Ministers and officials regularly raise human rights issues and legislative reform with the Burmese Government, most recently during the Burmese Foreign Minister's visit to London on 11 February.

Burma

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions are faced by EU (a) businesses and (b) member states if they break the EU arms embargo on Burma.

Hugo Swire: The EU arms embargo on Burma is enforced by EU member states using domestic legislative powers. The penalties on businesses for non-observance can vary depending on the circumstances of any attempted or actual breach. These can vary from suspension of export licenses or a financial penalty, through to criminal prosecution resulting in custodial sentences of up to 10 years.
	EU member states implement arms embargoes through domestic legislation. Each member state's implementation in its domestic law determines what the consequences would be if a member state breaches the embargo.

Burma

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on land confiscation in Burma.

Hugo Swire: We are aware of reports concerning the risks of land confiscation in Burma. During his recent visit to Burma this month Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, reported the potential for development projects to have a detrimental effect on the human rights of the people of Burma through land confiscation and forced eviction.
	Since the suspension of EU sanctions in April 2012, the British Government has promoted responsible trade and investment in support of Burma's democratic reform process. The British Government urges all UK companies entering Burma to abide by international standards of corporate governance and social and environmental responsibility. In particular, this means adhering to the OECD guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings UK Government representatives have had with the Kachin Independence Organisation in the last 12 months.

Hugo Swire: Officials from our embassy in Rangoon have met senior representatives from the Kachin Independence Organisation several limes over the past 12 months, most recently during January and February 2013. The British Government continues to call on both sides to end hostilities and to continue with efforts to find a lasting peace in Kachin State. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I discussed the situation in Kachin with the Burmese Foreign Minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, during his visit to the UK earlier this month.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether the Burmese Government plans to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Hugo Swire: The British Government regularly raises the signing of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) with our Burmese counterparts. I raised this issue with the Burmese Government during my visit to Burma from 12-15 December 2012. More recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised this issue with the Burmese Foreign Minister during his visit of 11 February.
	Subsequent to this discussion, British officials met the Burmese Foreign Minister on 15 February and were informed that the Burmese Government had been advised by the Burmese National Human Rights Council on December 10 that it should consider ratifying the ICCPR. We will continue to urge the Burmese Government to sign and ratify this important international commitment.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether Burma has agreed to sign the (a) Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol and (b) UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Hugo Swire: The British Government regularly urges the Burmese Government to sign the convention against torture and its optional protocol. During my visit to Burma in December 2012, I raised this issue with senior members of the Burmese Government, and it has subsequently been raised by officials in meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Attorney General.
	British officials met Burmese Foreign Minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, on 15 February and were informed that the Burmese Government had been advised by the Burmese National Human Rights Council on December 10 that it should consider ratifying the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). We will continue to urge the Burmese Government to sign and ratify these important international commitments.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with his EU counterparts in other EU member states on making representations to the Government of Burma following the escalation of attacks in Kachin State by the Burmese army.

Hugo Swire: The EU's Political and Security Committee raised concerns about the situation in Kachin in a meeting with the Burmese Foreign Minister during his visit to Brussels on 6 February. On 15 January, Baroness Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, expressed her deep concern about the ongoing fighting in Kachin. British embassy officials in Rangoon continue to discuss the situation in Kachin State with their EU counterparts on a regular basis, most recently on 12 February. EU Heads of Mission in Burma, including HM ambassador in Rangoon, have planned a visit to Kachin in March in order to assess the situation there for themselves.

Conditions of Employment

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people are employed on zero-hour contracts in his Department.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) do not employ the term “Zero Hour Contract” with its employed staff. However, we have interpreted the question to mean staff who are employed for specific work and are only paid/reimbursed for the work they undertake. The FCO have five members of staff on this type of contract. These are former members of staff and are mainly involved in the preparation of official visits.

Diplomatic Service

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the cost was of upgrading the diplomatic posts in (a) Abidjan Madagascar to an embassy, (b) Hyderabad to a deputy high commission and (c) Calgary and Recife to a consulate general;
	(2)  what the proceeds were of the sale of (a) property and (b) assets following the closure of the Consulates General in (i) Lille, (ii) Lyon, (iii) Florence, (iv) Venice and (v) Geneva;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost of opening new embassies in (a) Asuncion, (b) Mogadishu, (c) Port-au-Prince, (d) Bishkek, (e) Juba, (f) San Salvador and (g) Vientiane; and what the value is of each new embassy building;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the cost of upgrading the (a) embassy in Monrovia and (b) high commission in Chandigarh.

David Lidington: We are embarking on a substantial reinvigoration of the diplomatic network to make it ready for the 21st century; to expand our connections with the emerging powers of the world. We are funding this expansion through the reallocation of FCO resources, the withdrawal of diplomatic staff from some subordinate posts in Europe, while retaining an UKTI and consular presence in many cases. This will lead to fewer subordinate posts. We will maintain all our existing embassies. Other savings will be found as we reduce our diplomatic footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan over time; and we will continue to reprioritise budgets to strengthen frontline foreign policy work.
	For more information on the network shift, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 11 May 2011, Official Report, columns 1165-68.
	The costs the hon. Member asks for are as follows.
	
		
			 Post Estimated annual operating costs (£ million) One off capital costs (estimated where not yet open) (£ million) Comment 
			 Abidjan 0.016  This was upgraded within the existing resources of Africa Directorate at no additional cost, as we already owned suitable property. 
			 Antananarivo 0.4 0.5  
			 Asuncion 0.6 2.1 An Embassy building has yet to be identified. 
			 Bishkek 0.3 0.8 We rent within a building and are upgrading a floor for our use; 
			 Calgary 0.08  (partially offset by savings in Vancouver) 
			 Chandigarh 0.40 0.5 Chandigarh is not yet open; it will be a newly-opened high commission and these are estimated costs 
			 Hyderabad 0.4  Rental uplift 
			 Juba n/a  Additional resources in Juba were offset by changes in Khartoum; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have its own building as it operates out of the Department for International Development office in Juba and makes a contribution to running costs 
			 Mogadishu 3.4 7.2  
			 Monrovia 0.1 0.5  
			 Port au Prince Not yet available  Is a co-location within the Canadian Embassy with whom we are negotiating a figure to cover rent and provision of other corporate services. 
			 Recite 0.2   
			 San Salvador 0.4 2 Embassy building is valued at £0.44 million 
			 Vientiane 0.4 0.3 We are presently co-located in a building provided by the Australians 
		
	
	Lille, Lyon, Florence and Venice were rented properties and leases were terminated. None of these properties were sold. We retain our building in Geneva—our mission to the UN—but consular functions transferred from there to the embassy in Berne. Other assets, such as IT, are generally returned to the UK rather than sold.

Egypt

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider the recent report by Amnesty International on gender-based violence against women around Tahrir Square; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I welcome the recent report by Amnesty International and am deeply concerned at the increase in violent sexual attacks against women in Tahrir Square and surrounding areas in Egypt that it details.
	I raised our concerns about violence against women with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Kamel Amr, when I spoke to him on 18 February. I also discussed the protection of women with a range of political and civil society figures when I visited Egypt on 15-16 January. We will continue to follow the human rights situation in Egypt closely.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not keep an official record of the volume of food waste removed from its UK offices at the present time.
	The FCO contracted caterer (ESS) does not manage the waste contract for the FCO and therefore cannot provide the overall details of food waste from all of the buildings in FCO. They do have internal controls to manage food waste in the kitchen. They record any wastage on a weekly basis; enabling them to reduce waste wherever possible. These records are for internal use and are not retained for client reporting purposes.
	The FCO has plans to separate out food waste in the future which will be reported on by our waste contractor.

India

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with his Indian counterpart the issue of ensuring that Dalits are prioritised in the strengthening of safety measures for women and girls in India following the recent gang rape and death of a 23 year old student in New Delhi.

Hugo Swire: The Government is aware of the particular concerns around the treatment of Dalit women, including the trafficking and sexual exploitation of Dalit women and girls. We will continue to raise these issues with appropriate authorities at national and state level and also through the EU/India Human Rights Dialogue.
	We note that the report of the Justice Verma Committee on sexual violence against women in India recommends that strong action is taken against those found guilty of trafficking women and children. We are encouraged by the Indian Government's positive response to the recommendations of the Verma Committee. We will continue to follow closely the implementation of its recommendations.

India

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of India to prevent the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana.

Hugo Swire: On 28 March 2012, the Indian Home Ministry issued a stay of execution for Balwant Singh Rajoana. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, is still considering an appeal for clemency. We welcome this step. I raised the UK's position on the death penalty with India's Foreign Secretary, Ranjan Mathai, on 19 February, making clear the UK's opposition to the death penalty and urging India to re-establish the moratorium on its use.

India

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of India on (a) prisoners at risk of execution and (b) the abolition of the death penalty.

Hugo Swire: It is regrettable that the de facto moratorium on the death penalty, in place since 2004, was broken in November 2012 and then again with the execution of Afzal Guru on 9 February 2013. In my meeting in Delhi with India's Foreign Secretary, Ranjan Mathai, on 19 February. I made clear the UK's opposition to the death penalty and urged India to re-establish the moratorium on its use. India's use of the death penalty will also be discussed at the EU/India Human Rights Dialogue which is scheduled to take place at the end of February.

Intelligence Services: International Co-operation

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which countries the UK has (a) formal and (b) informal intelligence sharing arrangements.

Alistair Burt: It is the policy of successive UK Governments not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security.

Iran

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will support a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the forthcoming session of the Human Rights Council that will go beyond a procedural mandate and address the (a) substantive human rights problems in Iran and (b) persecution of the Bahá'í community in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Securing the extension of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran at the forthcoming Human Rights Council is a UK priority. We are currently considering our position on the text of the resolution to secure this mandate. A procedural resolution may be easier to achieve. The UK will refer to the reported escalation of persecution of the Baha’is in Iran in its intervention during the presentation of the Special Rapporteur’s report to the Council on 11 March, as well as a number of other examples of Iran’s appalling human rights record.

Iran

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department will raise the persecution of the Bahá'í community in Iran during the dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran at the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Securing the extension of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran at the forthcoming Human Rights Council is a UK priority. We are currently considering our position on the text of the resolution to secure this mandate. A procedural resolution may be easier to achieve. The UK will refer to the reported escalation of persecution of the Baha’is in Iran in its intervention during the presentation of the Special Rapporteur’s report to the Council on 11 March, as well as a number of other examples of Iran’s appalling human rights record.

Israel

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he has met the Israeli Ambassador to the UK between 1 and 30 November 2012.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), did not meet the Israeli ambassador to the UK in November 2012. However I met with the ambassador on 1 November as part of the UK and Israel's annual Strategic Dialogue, bringing together senior officials from both countries.

Kenya

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is issuing precautionary advice to UK nationals in Kenya up to and following the Kenyan presidential elections on 4 March 2013.

Mark Simmonds: We have, since November 2012, flagged the forthcoming elections, due on 4 March, in our Travel Advice for Kenya. We will continue to keep our Travel Advice under close review.

Lord's Resistance Army

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking through diplomatic channels to organise a collective response to the activities of the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Mark Simmonds: The UK has consistently promoted a co-ordinated international approach to defeating the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and is particularly active in leading this work in the UN Security Council. We are encouraging the affected countries, alongside the UN and African Union (AU), to convene a high-level meeting to discuss how to bring an end to the threat which the LRA poses to thousands of innocent civilians. I discussed the issue with the Ugandan Acting Foreign Minister in Kampala, and at the UNGA last year. FCO officials also participate in the International Working Group on the LRA, and have regular contact with their US State Department and European External Action Service (EEAS) counterparts, as well as contact with NGOs on the issue.

Mali

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the deployment of human rights monitors in Mali.

Mark Simmonds: As part of a multidisciplinary presence in Mali, the Resolution also called on the UN to monitor the human rights situation. A team of four human rights officials forms part of the new UN Office in Mali, which began deploying in January. This team will lay the ground for a more substantial UN human rights deployment in due course.
	We have regular discussions with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and in February we held discussions with the new head of the UN human rights office in Bamako. We are supportive of the UN's planned work in Mali, which includes efforts to establish communications systems to monitor violations and abuses, improve coordination among the international community, and liaise with the Malian Government, Malian armed forces and AFISMA to monitor and investigate, allegations of human rights violations and abuses. We also understand that the UN Office will carry out some training for local human rights monitors.
	As well as work ongoing in Mali, we support discussion of the human rights situation in Mali at the UN Human Rights Council, whose 22(nd) session starts on 25 February. The High Commissioner for Human Rights will update the Human Rights Council on the situation in Mali on 20 March. If appropriate, we will support a resolution on monitoring and investigating allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Mali.

Mali

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that all military forces active in Mali act in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2085.

Mark Simmonds: Britain supported UN Security-Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2085 which states that any support to Mali should be consistent with international humanitarian, human rights law and refugee law. UNSCR 2085 requests the UN Secretary-General to ensure the relevant capacity within the UN presence in Mali to observe adherence to these laws with regards to military operations and include in his regular reports to the Security Council any violations.
	It is important that access throughout Mali is ensured for UN human rights monitors. A team of four human rights officials, pursuant to UNSCR 2085. forms part of the new UN Office in Mali which began deploying in January.
	Training on human rights and international humanitarian law training—including the protection of civilians—will be an integral part of the EU Training Mission and any training provided by Britain. We have also offered a team of experts to the EU Training Mission to provide advice on preventing and responding to sexual violence.

Middle East

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on the importance of direct peace talks.

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 490W.

North Korea

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he plans to have with his counterparts at the United Nations on the nuclear test in north Korea and measures to prevent an increase in such activity;
	(2)  what discussions he plans to have with his United Nations counterparts on preventing an escalation of the problems associated with nuclear testing in north Korea.

Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement that the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), laid on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 47WS. Since this statement, officials in New York have had additional discussions with their counterparts from other members of the Security Council on the further measures that could be taken to respond to north Korea’s latest provocation and to dissuade it from carrying out further provocations. Officials from our embassy in Beijing also met with the Chinese Six-Party Talks representative to emphasise the need for a united and firm international response. These discussions will continue.

Nuclear Weapons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had regarding support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and is actively working towards creating the conditions to realise that goal. The primary means to achieve this should be through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and specifically through the NPT Action Plan that was agreed by all NPT signatories in 2010.
	The UK Government believes that a Nuclear Weapons Convention could not succeed in the present international environment. Until the necessary political and security conditions are in place, we believe that attempts to establish such a convention would risk diluting international efforts around the NPT and undermining or duplicating the work of established disarmament fora, including the Conference on Disarmament.
	The UK's focus at present should be on building the right environment that will make multilateral nuclear disarmament a realistic possibility. As the instigator of the inaugural P5 Conference, we are working to help build the trust and mutual confidence between states needed to achieve this. We are working with international partners to make it as hard as possible for states to develop, produce or acquire nuclear weapons. Key to this will be starting negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament towards a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty and achieving the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

Nuclear Weapons: Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of his Department are working on the proposed WMD-Free Middle East Conference.

Alistair Burt: There are five officials within the Counter Proliferation Department that have specific responsibility for work on the Middle East WMD Free Zone conference. They are supported by, and work closely with, relevant geographical departments and posts.

Nuclear Weapons: Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which meetings his Department has held with foreign representatives regarding the proposed WMD-Free Middle East Conference (a) since the NPT Review Conference 2010 and (b) in 2013.

Alistair Burt: Since the 2010 NPT Review Conference, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials and Ministers have engaged in regular meetings and discussions on the proposed Middle East WMD Free Zone conference with our fellow co-convenors (the US, Russia and the UN) and Jakko Laajava, the facilitator for the conference. We have also engaged regularly with officials from states of the region.
	The FCO Minister responsible for counter-proliferation, Alistair Burt, discussed the conference with his counterparts from the Middle East, for example with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 18 February 2013. He has also met with the conference facilitator on numerous occasions, most recently in January 2013.
	FCO officials have discussed the conference in visits to the region, for example, meeting with the Arab League in Cairo in October 2012 and visiting Israel in February 2013. UK Posts in the region have also discussed the conference with their hosts on numerous occasions, including at ambassadorial level.

Nuclear Weapons: Middle East

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has spoken to the (a) Israeli Prime Minister, (b) Israeli Foreign Minister or (c) Israeli Ambassador regarding the proposed WMD-Free Middle East Conference since the Israeli general election.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has not spoken with his counterpart in Israel, or the Israeli Prime Minister or ambassador, on this matter since the Israeli general election. In early February 2013, senior officials travelled to Israel to discuss the proposed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Free Zone Conference and wider counter-proliferation issues with their Israeli counterparts. The Government supports the objective of a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East and continues to encourage Israel to participate in discussions to that end.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Ministers in his Department and (b) officials will join the UK delegation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in Geneva.

Alistair Burt: We take a keen interest in the non-proliferation treaty (NPT). The UK delegation for the NPT Preparatory Committee, which begins on 22 April 2013, will be made up of officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Ministry of Defence (MoD), and Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). We do not currently envisage ministerial attendance at the NPT Preparatory Committee 2013.

Occupied Territories

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Israel on measures to limit the number of civilian casualties in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: The Government has repeatedly called on Israel to observe international humanitarian law and avoid civilian casualties, including in the context of the Gaza conflict last November. We have made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) polices the buffer zone between Israel and Gaza. In the context of recent cases of Palestinian civilians killed by the IDF in both Gaza and the West Bank, officials from our embassy in Tel Aviv have reiterated our concerns over the IDF's use of live ammunition with both the Israeli Ministry of Defence and National Security Council.

Occupied Territories

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage Israel to end settlement building.

Alistair Burt: It is the Government's longstanding view that settlements are illegal under international law and threaten prospects for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have repeatedly condemned Israel's announcements expanding settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and regularly raise our profound concerns over Israel's settlement policy at the highest levels.
	I summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK on 3 December, to set out our concerns about announcements following the Palestinian UN General Assembly resolution, including the unfreezing of planning for the area known as El. Both the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), have underlined our concern about Israel's settlement policy in contacts with their counterparts. We will continue to press the next Israeli Government to cease all settlement activity.

Palestinians

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government on the actions of the Israeli military in the village of Al Maleh in the northern Jordan valley and on the reported destruction of homes and animal shelters in that area.

Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly raised the issue of demolitions in the Jordan valley with the Israeli authorities. We view such demolitions and evictions as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; as harmful to the peace process; and, in all but the most limited circumstances, as contrary to international humanitarian law.
	The recent demolition of homes in the Al-Maleh region of Jordan valley was discussed by our embassy officials in Tel Aviv with the Israeli co-ordinator of Government Activities Territories on 21 January 2013. They raised concerns over the decision, and the impact on the local community.
	I will also continue to discuss issues linked to settlements and demolitions with Israel’s ambassador to the UK.

Palestinians

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure Hamas accepts and abides by the Quartet principles. [R]

Alistair Burt: The Government's position remains that if Hamas wish to be treated by the UK and the rest of the international community like other Islamist movements in the region, they must first make credible steps towards the conditions of renouncing violence, recognising Israel and accepting previously signed agreements, in line with the Quartet principles. We are following ongoing discussions on Palestinian reconciliation. If, through the reconciliation process with Fatah, Hamas supports a new unified Palestinian Government which rejects violence and pursues a negotiated peace, that would be a good first step.
	We also urge Hamas to continue to respect the ceasefire agreed with Israel on 21 November 2012. We are calling on all sides to take advantage of the continuing talks in Cairo to address the fundamental issues facing Gaza, including more access for people and goods and an end to the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.

Piracy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the states bordering the Indian ocean on the ability of private security companies to store weapons when not operational on counter-piracy operations.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have had discussions with the authorities in a number of states bordering the Indian ocean on the ability of private security companies to store weapons.
	To date, no merchant ship carrying private maritime security companies has been hijacked in the high risk area off the coast of Somalia and wider Indian ocean, which has inevitably led to a growth in the industry. In turn, this has led to an increase in the number of weapons transiting the ports and national armouries of these states. Officials have worked with the authorities in these states and with industry to resolve concerns about weapons transit and security. 90% of private maritime security companies are UK registered and the Government is committed to working to raise standards within this industry. However, recognising the contribution they make to counter-piracy efforts in this region, it is important for the responsible companies to be able to operate without undue delay to remain at a commercial advantage.
	Discussions with the authorities in these states have sought to find a solution to ensure the safe and secure storage of weapons is compatible with the dynamic requirements of the private maritime security industry. From the UK, we regulate the movement of weapons by UK private maritime security companies using UK trade licences, which authorise holders to move weapons between two third countries. In February 2012, the Government introduced the open general trade control license (maritime anti-piracy) that gave UK companies the flexibility they needed while ensuring the Government retained case by case oversight on proposed movements of weapons.
	In addition, we are aware that the complexities with transiting weapons through the ports of these states has led a number of companies to consider the use of merchant vessels in international waters as ‘floating armouries’. These armouries present a number of complex legal and security challenges and Government is working with partners to explore how best to mitigate these risks while not putting UK private maritime security companies at a commercial disadvantage.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office introduced no regulations between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 but it introduced 21 Orders in Council and one Legislative Reform Order during this period. Most of these orders related to the implementation of United Nations and EU sanctions measures in the UK overseas territories. Two orders concerned the simplification of the procedures for the registration of civil partnerships overseas and one order provided for the technical updating of primary legislation to take account of renumbered EU treaty articles following entry into force of the Lisbon treaty.
	Overseas territories sanctions orders do not apply in the UK and therefore impose no costs in the UK. None of the other orders is expected to impose any costs.

Saeed Abedini

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the detention of Saeed Abedini in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We remain very concerned about the treatment of American Christian Pastor Saeed Abedini and his sentencing on 27 January to eight years in prison for ''acts against national security". The charges appear to relate to his involvement in the Christian "house church" movement in Iran. We urge the Iranian Government to release him and to cease the shocking persecution of individuals based on their faith.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has over 4,700 properties in over 270 locations around the world. It would not be possible to provide the level of detail requested in the time scale and it would also be at disproportionate cost.
	A list of owned offices world-wide was provided in my answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, column 322W. A copy has been placed in the Commons Library. Overseas, we own a total of 2,312 buildings (including those for residential use) and rent 2,380 buildings (again including those for residential use).

Sudan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest and detainment of signatories of the new Dawn Charter in Sudan; and what representation he has made to the government of Sudan regarding the deteriorating health of Mohamed Zain Al Abideen.

Mark Simmonds: We are very concerned at the arrest of six political opposition members in Khartoum, one of whom has since been released. Officials at our embassy in Khartoum are monitoring the situation very closely, in co-ordination with our EU partners. We have raised our concerns about the case of Dr Mohamed Zain Al Abideen, a dual national, in a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have sent written requests for consular access on 31 January and 3 February and have met with members of his family. We regularly stress the importance of protecting civil and political rights in Sudan in order that opposition groups and members of the public have the opportunity to air their opinions through legitimate political channels. Our embassy in Khartoum continues to make these points, on a regular basis to the Sudanese Government.

Terrorism

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2012, Official Report, column 747W, on terrorism, what action his Department is taking to prevent or disrupt the payment of ransoms to (a) organised crime groups and (b) terrorist groups.

Alistair Burt: The Government maintains a long-held policy of not making substantive concessions to hostage takers because it believes that substantive concessions serve only to fuel the problem and increase the risk to our nationals.
	While it is not illegal to pay a ransom under UK law to organised crime groups, including pirates, the UK Government will not facilitate payment and counsels others against doing so. The Government is committed to tackling the strategic threat posed by organised crime groups and in the case of piracy has been at the forefront of establishing international consensus on reducing and avoiding the payment of ransoms to pirates operating off the coast of Somalia.
	In the case of terrorist kidnaps, it is illegal to pay ransoms to terrorists under international and UK law. The Government will therefore not pay ransoms to terrorists. This is a tough policy, but the right one since it reduces the funding available to terrorists, and also keeps British nationals safe. The Prime Minister has made clear our determination to tackle the threat posed by terrorists across the world. This includes working with the international community, including through the G8, to provide an intelligent and measured, long-term response to the terrorist threat.

Treaties

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last undertook an audit of the currency of the UK’s international treaty obligations as recorded in the UK treaties online section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website; and if he will place in the Library a list of all treaties in respect of which the UK has (a) extant treaty obligations, (b) expired treaty obligations and (c) revoked or modified treaty obligations.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not undertaken an audit of the UK’s current international treaty obligations. The UK treaties online (UKTO) application on the FCO’s website includes records of the majority of treaties known to have been concluded by the UK since the early 19th century. The UKTO database was created with the aim of enabling public access to information about UK treaties in the most helpful and cost-effective fashion possible. It would be disproportionately expensive to review the 14,000 treaties recorded on the database.
	Some of the treaties are either no longer in force, or they are no longer in force for the UK because they were concluded by the United Kingdom on behalf of a former colonial territory. Where the FCO’s own records indicate that a treaty has definitely been terminated, this is shown on the relevant UKTO record.
	The several thousand ‘live’ treaties to which the UK is party, play a crucial role in governing the UK’s place in the world and its relations with other states, to the benefit of all its people. Such treaties include extradition, mutual legal assistance, military co-operation, double taxation, tax information exchange, and aviation treaties, to name but a few. They also include the founding treaties of international organisations, such as the EU and NATO.

Tunisia

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support democratic Government in Tunisia.

Alistair Burt: The UK supports the process of democratisation in Tunisia. Through the UK's Arab Partnership we have supported capacity building for Assembly members charged with the task of producing a new constitution which we hope will serve to protect the rights of all Tunisians for generations to come.
	In 2011-12 the British embassy in Tunis funded over £1 million of projects in Tunisia through the programme providing support to the political transition through capacity building for political parties, voter education and media reform as well as vocational training and microcredit lending. In the F/Y 2012-13 this has more than doubled to £2.4 million.
	We are also working in partnership with the Tunisian Government to increase co-operation and to support economic reform, both bilaterally and through the EU. Under the G8 presidency the UK will work through the G8's Deauville Partnership which brings together the G8, regional partner countries and leading international, financial institutions to provide political and practical assistance to six-transition countries, including Tunisia. The partnership was created to provide co-ordinate support for political, social and economic reforms taking place in these countries. Under the UK presidency this support will focus on promoting economic growth and open, inclusive societies. The initiatives include a major investment conference, technical assistance and an SME mentoring programme.

Tunisia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Tunisia on the recent shooting of an opposition leader; and whether in those discussions he expressed concerns over human rights and security in that country.

Alistair Burt: I issued a statement to condemn the assassination of Chokri Belaid on 6 February, in which I urged Tunisia's leaders to restore calm and follow a process of inclusion and consensus building to ensure the democratic transition remains on course. I reinforced these messages in my discussions with Secretary of State for European Affairs, Tahoumi Abdouli on 7 February. I discussed the security situation in Tunisia and emphasised the security challenges in the region. Our ambassador to Tunisia and embassy officials have had regular discussions with political leaders and government representatives over recent weeks and reiterated the need for dialogue, consensus and respect for human rights and the democratic transition.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 491W, on Western Sahara, what reports he has received on whether MINURSO has verified the reduction of Moroccan troops in the territory as called for in its mandate.

Alistair Burt: MINURSO reports each year to the UN Security Council, most recently in document S/2012/197. MINURSO continues to visit and monitor units of the Royal Moroccan Army and the military forces of Frente Polisario for adherence to the military agreements and will report again in April 2013.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 491W, on Western Sahara, what reports he has received on whether MINURSO has monitored the confinement of Moroccan and Frente Polisario troops to designated locations as called for in its mandate.

Alistair Burt: MINURSO reports each year to the UN Security Council, most recently in document S/2012/197. MINURSO is mandated to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario, as set out in the military agreement between the two sides. The military agreement specifies restrictions in place in the restricted zone either side of the boundary between the two sides, but does not specify total numbers of Moroccan troops in Western Sahara.

Zimbabwe

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that the Government of Zimbabwe respects the rule of law and human rights.

Mark Simmonds: The British Government works closely with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe to monitor the human rights environment and application of the rule of law. We are concerned that a culture of impunity is widespread in Zimbabwe. We continue to raise concerns at the use of repressive legislation for political purposes. We condemn the harassment of CSOs and politically motivated human rights violations.
	Britain regularly urges the Government of Zimbabwe to implement legal and institutional reforms to end violence and impunity, and to ensure the restoration of internationally accepted human rights standards. Our embassy in Harare has raised specific human rights cases with Ministers and senior officials in the Government of Zimbabwe. We also work closely with the EU on these issues, and welcomed their local statement of November 2012 condemning the harassment of human rights defenders, journalists and members of civil society.
	The British Government welcomes the new Zimbabwean Human Rights Commission Bill which passed into law on 12 October 2012. However, we are concerned that the chair of the Human Rights Commission subsequently resigned in December 2012 in protest at the lack of resources and progress. We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to implement the recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council at its Universal Periodic Review in October 2011.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Alcoholic Drinks

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of alcohol-related absenteeism in his Department; whether his Department has an (a) internal alcohol policy and (b) occupational health strategy; and if he will publish such documents.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not have a specific category for recording alcohol related absences so is unable to provide an estimate of alcohol-related absenteeism.
	(a) DWP has an internal alcohol misuse policy. The policy provides for a wide range of support while ensuring that the standards of the Department are protected. The Department accepts that alcohol dependency is a condition requiring help and treatment. This means that it carries the same employment protection as any other illness.
	(b) DWP has an Occupational Health Policy which is delivered by an external occupational health provider. The service provides advice on a wide range of health conditions to enable support in the workplace and this includes alcohol related problems. We also offer an Employee Assistance Programme delivered by an external provider that gives access to counselling for all employees.
	These policies will be placed in the Library.

Atos Healthcare

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid by his Department to Atos in the last two financial years; and how many Atos employees are under contract to his Department.

Mark Hoban: The amounts paid by the Department to Atos in the last two financial years are as follows:
	April 2010 to March 2011 amounted to £112.8 million.
	April 2011 to March 2012 amounted to £112.4 million.
	The Medical Services contract figures not only cover the total number of assessments undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements
	There are 1,714 Atos employees working on the DWP Medical Services contract as at the end of January 2013.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what occupation costs of each type are incurred for each property used by his Department.

Mark Hoban: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its accommodation under a private finance initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME contract.
	Under the terms of this PFI the Department leases back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium. We pay an all-inclusive unitary price, known as the Facility Price (FP), for all our occupation costs.
	However, to collect and collate all the information requested for over 900 properties occupied by the Department would take significant resource and would be disproportionately expensive.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) total floor space and (b) floor space measured in square metres per full-time equivalent post is of properties used by his Department.

Mark Hoban: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its accommodation under a private finance initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI the Department leases back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium.
	We pay an all-inclusive unitary price, known as the Facility Price (FP), for all our occupation costs in the space we occupy.
	The total floor space of properties in use is 1,542,303 square metres.
	The total full-time equivalent (FTE) posts is 94,097.
	Therefore, the floor space measured in square metres, per FTE, is approximately 16.39 square metres.

Buildings

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the names and locations are of all properties used by officials of his Department; whether those properties are (a) owned by the Department, (b) leased by the Department and (c) subject to a private finance initiative agreement; when existing lease agreements relating to such properties are due to expire; and what the total floor space is of each property.

Mark Hoban: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its accommodation under a private finance initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME contract.
	Under the terms of this PFI the Department pays an all-inclusive unitary price for fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium. Therefore, as the Department does not own or lease any properties, lease end or lease break dates are not relevant until the PRIME contract ends in 2018.
	To collect and collate all the information requested for over 900 individual properties occupied by the Department would take significant resource and would be disproportionately expensive.
	However, we can advise that the total floor space of all properties combined, as at February 2013, is 1,542,303 m(2).

Cold Weather Payments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will claim winter fuel allowance in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in (i) 2014, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2016.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	Caseload forecasts for Great Britain by individual benefit, including winter fuel payment, can be found on the internet at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/autumn_2012_211212.xls
	Table 1c provides caseload by year to 2017-18.
	Information on the number of winter fuel payments paid is provided in the document ‘Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2011-12 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender (All)’. We expect a similar number of payments to be made in future years. This information is available on the internet at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp
	Over 95% of winter fuel payments are made automatically, without the need to claim, based on information held in DWP records. A small number of people whose circumstances we do not know need to make a claim. It is not possible to give the exact number of eligible people, but we have no reason to estimate that eligibility is materially different from the number of payments made.

Disability: Public Lavatories

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the need for disabled accessible and assisted toilets at public events to facilitate either side transfers for people in wheelchairs.

Esther McVey: When planning an event, organisers are required, under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, to consider the needs of disabled people, and whether reasonable adjustments should be made to ensure that they are not put at a substantial disadvantage in attending or taking part in the event. This includes anticipating the need to provide disabled people with adequate accessible and assisted facilities at public events where it would be reasonable to do so.
	What is reasonable in any particular case is ultimately for a Court to decide, but for example, a group of local volunteers with no significant financial backing running a small village fete with free entry would probably not be under a duty to make specific provision, although it would be wise to explore what other provision there may be nearby, such as in local businesses. However, a commercial promoter running a large event expecting thousands of paying visitors to an open air all day event would probably be under a duty to make sure there was toilet provision for disabled people who would otherwise be unable to access the event without significant disadvantage.

Employment and Support Allowance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how far in advance of the end of their contribution-based employment and support allowance (ESA) claim the claimant is notified in writing that the claim will end; and, when claimants receive such a notification, whether information is given about income-based ESA and they are provided with any necessary paperwork to make a claim for the allowance.

Mark Hoban: Eight weeks before time-limited contribution-based employment and support allowance is due to end a notification is issued to the claimant. The notification advises the claimant whether or not income-based employment and support allowance can be awarded automatically on the basis of information already held. If this is not possible, the notification provides advice about claiming income-based employment and support allowance and provides a phone number if the claimant wishes to receive a claim form. A reminder is issued to the claimant four weeks before benefit is due to end. Where there is no contact three weeks before benefit is due to end, checks are carried out to see whether a phone call or a visit is to be made because the customer is considered to be vulnerable.

Employment and Support Allowance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken is for processing income-based employment and support allowance claims.

Mark Hoban: The actual average clearance time for processing new employment and support allowance claims from April 2012 to January 2013 is 10.6 working days.

Employment and Support Allowance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints his Department has received from claimants who have been left without any benefit income following the closure of their claim for contribution-based employment and support allowance since May 2012.

Mark Hoban: While the DWP does record complaints, it is not able to identify the number of those complaints which relate specifically to contribution-based ESA or to claimants being left without any benefit income. This information would entail the scrutiny of individual records and could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people in the employment and support allowance work-related activity group left the benefit within 12 months of starting on it in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The information requested can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Mark Hoban: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions has occupied the majority of its accommodation under a private finance initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI the Department lease back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium which includes the provision of all catering services through their service partner, Compass Group.
	The latest figures available from Telereal Trillium relate to 2008-09 and 2009-10, and include waste from the preparation of food, waste from service counters and customer plate waste. The figures are estimates. (Figures for 2010-11 and 2011-12 will not be available until 31 March 2013).
	
		
			 Financial year Food waste (kg) 
			 2008-09 39,755 
			 2009-10 51,489 
		
	
	It is worth noting that there was an increase in counter sales for 2009-10 of 6%, compared with the same period in 2008-09. This may account in part for the increased food waste figures in that year.

Health and Safety Executive

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the minutes of the Health and Safety Executive board meeting of 31 October 2012 will be published.

Mark Hoban: The Health and Safety Executive board meeting of 31 October 2012, was fully closed; minutes will therefore not be published.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of tenants in social housing who will not be able to pay their rent as a consequence of the introduction of the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: This information is not available.
	There are a number of options available to meet shortfalls in housing benefit below rent resulting from the social sector under-occupation measure. For example, this could include increasing working hours, taking in a lodger, or moving to smaller accommodation in either the social or private sector. It is for individual claimants to determine what is the best approach for them.
	The behavioural responses of claimants and landlords affected by the size criteria will be included in the planned independent monitoring and evaluation to assess the effects of the introduction of size criteria in the social rented sector.

Housing Benefit

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of unpaid carers who will be affected by the underoccupancy rules where a partner's disability requires a separate bedroom.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.

Housing Benefit

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to exclude residential properties owned by local authorities when used as temporary accommodation from the under-occupation rules for housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The policy is not to exclude local authority stock from the effect of the under-occupation charge where local authorities are discharging their functions under the appropriate legislation. However, certain temporary accommodation made available to the claimant is exempt and this is:
	(a) Accommodation—
	(i) provided for a charge, where that charge includes the provision of that accommodation and some cooked or prepared meals which are also cooked or prepared, and consumed, in that accommodation or associated premises; or
	(ii) provided in a hotel, guest house, lodging house or similar establishment,
	—but does not include accommodation which is provided in a care home, an independent hospital or a hostel;
	(b) Accommodation which the authority or registered housing association holds on a lease and, in the case of an authority in England, is held outside the Housing Revenue Account on a lease granted for a term not exceeding 10 years;
	(c) Accommodation which the authority or registered housing association has a right to use under an agreement other than a lease with a third party.

Housing Benefit

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons residential properties owned by local authorities for temporary accommodation are not included in the definition of temporary accommodation in the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Steve Webb: In framing these regulations (the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2012, SI 2102/3040) Ministers decided that it would be contrary to the purpose of the regulations to exclude from their effect accommodation which local authorities provided from their own stock when discharging their functions under part 3 of the Housing Act 1985, part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 or (in Scotland) part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 or to prevent the claimant being or becoming homeless within the meaning of part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 or (in Scotland) part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

Housing Benefit

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the ability of the private rental market to accommodate those who leave the social rented sector due to an inability to meet increased costs as a consequence of the under-occupancy penalty in (a) the UK, (b) Hull and (c) Kingston upon Hull North constituency.

Steve Webb: The information is not available. Claimants affected have a range of possible responses open to them, including finding work, taking in a lodger or moving within the social sector. It is not yet known how individuals will respond. The Department is commissioning an independent evaluation of these reforms, which will examine the effects on and responses by social tenants, including moves.
	The private rented sector continues to accommodate housing benefit claimants. Since March 2011, the number of Housing Benefit claimants living in the private rented sector has increased by 7%.

ICT

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) current expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project over £1 million started by his Department and its agencies since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Although the DWP does not have any discrete information technology (IT) projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new enabling IT to a greater or lesser extent. The DWP's definition of an IT enabled project is “any project where the IT costs exceed 15% of the total project cost”.
	There are 34 projects in scope for answer of this question, based upon a £1 million investment cost. All information required for all 34 projects is not held centrally by one team. The information would need to be gathered from a variety of sources. We are therefore unable to provide a full answer due to disproportionate costs.

Incapacity Benefit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support Jobcentre Plus provides for claimants of incapacity benefit whose claims are being reassessed.

Mark Hoban: Jobcentre Plus delivers back to work support to claimants across all working age benefits. Jobcentre Plus advisers are able to offer claimants a comprehensive menu of help which can include skills provision, job search support and access to the flexible support fund. Advisers work with each claimant to judge which interventions will help them move into employment at the most appropriate point in a claim, tailoring this to individual need.
	Incapacity benefit claimants awaiting reassessment have access to the help and support available through Jobcentre Plus on a voluntary basis and as such will not be subject to any mandatory conditionality, work related activity, or benefit sanctions for non-compliance. In England, incapacity benefit claimants can also volunteer to access the Work programme on a voluntary basis before their work capability assessment, using ESF funding.
	Once incapacity benefit claimants have undergone reassessment, they will move onto the appropriate benefit and be subject to the conditionality and provision appropriate for that benefit.

Ingeus

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what payment his Department provides to Ingeus for each successful job outcome under the Work programme.

Mark Hoban: The fee structure for the Work programme is available on the DWP website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/the-work-programme.pdf
	(figure 3 on page 7). This document also explains minimum and incentive performance levels for the Work programme.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the weekly cost to the Exchequer was of jobseeker's allowance paid to people aged 16 to 24 in each year since 2002-03; and what the amount was for payments made for residents of Liverpool, Walton constituency.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 Nominal £ million 
			  Average weekly JSA (aged 16-24) paid in Great Britain Average weekly JSA (aged 16-24) paid in Liverpool, Walton 
			 2002-03 10.46 0.04 
			 2003-04 10.75 0.04 
			 2004-05 10.05 0.04 
		
	
	
		
			 2005-06 11.86 0.05 
			 2006-07 12.36 0.05 
			 2007-08 11.28 0.05 
			 2008-09 14.49 0.05 
			 2009-10 22.73 0.07 
			 2010-11 20.53 0.07 
			 2011-12 23.87 0.08 
			 Notes: 1. The expenditure by benefit can be found in the expenditure by parliamentary constituency table published here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/pc_expenditure.xls 2. Where expenditure is compared across time, real term figures are better guide to trends in spending. Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data

Means-tested Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what cash and non-cash means-tested benefits are provided by his Department; what the rules are in respect of means-testing for each such benefit; and how much his Department spent on each in 2011-12.

Mark Hoban: Means-tested benefits provided by the Department for Work and Pensions include income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support and pension credit. Housing benefit and council tax benefit are administered by local authorities.
	The eligibility rules for each of the above benefits can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/
	The benefit expenditure for 2011-12 for each of the above benefits can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure

New Enterprise Allowance: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 713W, on new enterprise allowance: disability, how many disabled people securing new enterprise allowance mentor starts between April 2011 and May 2012 had stopped claiming jobseeker's allowance by the most recent date for which data is available.

Mark Hoban: We have published data on the number of new enterprise allowance mentor starts and weekly allowance starts. This can be found at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_feb13.pdf
	Table 2 shows there were 6,100 mentor starts and 2,840 weekly allowance starts for disabled people for the period April 2011 to November 2012. To be eligible for the weekly allowance claimants must have signed off jobseekers allowance.
	We do not have data for the number of people who stopped claiming jobseeker's allowance following a mentor start.

New Enterprise Allowance: Kingston Upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency are in receipt of the new enterprise allowance.

Mark Hoban: We have published data on the number of new enterprise allowance (NEA) mentor starts and weekly allowance starts by local authority and parliamentary constituency area. This can be found in the following table:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2013/nea_by_la_jcp_district_parl_c.xls
	In the local authority of Kingston upon Hull, there were 370 mentor starts and 130 weekly allowance starts over the period April 2011 to November 2012.
	In the parliamentary constituency of Kingston upon Hull North, there were 140 mentor starts and 50 weekly allowance starts over the period April 2011 to November 2012.
	The numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Pay

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cleaners and other staff employed by his Department earn less than the living wage.

Mark Hoban: In 1998 the Department entered into a 20-year PFI contract with Telereal Trillium for the provision of fully serviced accommodation which includes cleaning services. The Department does not therefore directly employ any cleaners.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has no employees who earn less than the living wage.

Pension Credit

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse following the abolition of savings credit in each of the five financial years after 2017.

Steve Webb: The information is in the following table. These estimates are the savings from this component of reform viewed in isolation from other changes.
	The single-tier pension will be set at a rate that is above the basic level of means-tested support. As a result there will no longer be a need for a complex savings reward under single-tier. Removing savings credit will simplify means-tested support and help to ensure pension credit is re-focused on providing a safety net targeted at the poorest and most vulnerable.
	
		
			 Estimated savings to the public purse from the abolition of savings credit after the introduction of single-tier 
			 Financial year Reduction in expenditure on pensioner benefits (%) 
			 2017 0.0001 
			 2018 0.0002 
			 2019 0.0003 
			 2020 0.0006 
		
	
	
		
			 2021 0.0007 
			 Note: Numbers rounded to 0.0001% and are illustrative and subject to change; for example, due to revised economic assumptions or a later start date for the policy. Source: DWP Long-term projections of expenditure and Pensim2 Modelling.

Pension Credit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that pensioners who are entitled to pension credit are encouraged to claim it.

Steve Webb: The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to.
	The latest estimates of take-up of all income-related benefits in 2009-10 were published in February 2012. The take-up report is available online at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/income_analysis/feb2012/tkup_full_report_0910.pdf
	The Department for Work and Pensions makes information available in various locations (for example, our website at www.gov.uk, and leaflets available from our DWP Information Line on 0845 7313233) to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and how to claim them. In addition, the Department is actively involved with around 4,000 local community partnerships across England, Scotland and Wales which provide a wide range of advice and support for pensioners.
	The Department writes to people up to four months before they reach their state pension age explaining their options, including how to claim their state pension or how to defer receiving it until later. State pension can be claimed online, by phone, or by submitting a claim form. When a customer makes a claim to state pension or reports a change in their circumstances, a customer adviser will also discuss a pension credit application with those who may be entitled. There is also a visiting service available to support vulnerable customers who are unable to access its services through other channels, such as telephony, post or online.
	Pensioners can, where eligible, claim housing benefit and council tax benefit alongside pension credit in a single phone call, without the need for a signed claim form. Calls to the 0800 claims number from a BT landline or from the six largest mobile phone networks are free.
	Further information on benefits is also available on the Department's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average total income provided by the Government to pensioners was in each of the last 10 financial years.

Steve Webb: The information requested is available at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=pensioners_income_arc#PI_Latest

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners who will receive means tested benefits under the new single-tier state pension in each of the next 10 financial years from 2017.

Steve Webb: The following table presents estimates of the proportion of pensioner households projected to be in receipt of means-tested benefits from 2017-18 through to 2026-27.
	
		
			  Pensioner households in receipt of means-tested benefits from 2017-18 (percentage) 
			 2017-18 32 
			 2018-19 32 
			 2019-20 31 
			 2020-21 30 
			 2021-22 30 
			 2022-23 29 
			 2023-24 29 
			 2024-25 28 
			 2025-26 28 
			 2026-27 27 
			 Source: DWP Pensim2 modelling 
		
	
	Means-tested benefits include pension credit, housing benefit, localised council tax support and universal credit.
	Estimated entitlement and receipt under the proposed single-tier pension are based on the illustrative assumptions used in the White Paper and accompanying impact assessment. The single-tier pension will be implemented in April 2017 at the earliest.

Pensions: Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the projected value in each year from 2015-16 to 2019-20 of employer national insurance contribution revenues, channelled to HM Treasury from businesses and public sector cost centres based in Scotland, and associated with the ending of contracting out as part of the introduction of the single-tier pension.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	There will be no additional national insurance revenues until the single-tier pension is implemented, in April 2017 at the earliest.
	The impact assessment accompanying “The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving”, provides estimates of the total additional employer contributions across Great Britain. The impact assessment is available at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/single-tier-pension-impact-assessment.pdf

Personal Independence Payment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will begin to collect data on the (a) length of personal independence payment award and (b) condition of each recipient.

Esther McVey: The Department published its outline evaluation proposals for personal independence payment on 13 December 2013, available from the DWP website:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-evaluation-proposals.pdf
	The proposals include secondary analysis of internal management information and administrative data which will include data on length of awards and disabling condition(s) for recipients of personal independence payment.

Personal Independence Payment

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has carried out of the ability of deaf people to carry out daily living activities if they no longer receive funding for communication support to understand information conveyed in more than one sentence as defined by the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.

Esther McVey: The Government is clear that support in personal independence payment should be focused on those people who face the greatest barriers to participating in society. It does this by considering an individual's ability to carry out 12 key everyday activities and what level of support they might need to do so. 10 of the activities in the assessment are focused on daily living and two on mobility.
	The 10 daily living activities cover various aspects of daily life, including the ability to communicate. An individual who needs communication support to be able to understand complex verbal information may receive descriptor C in the communicating verbally activity, which has four points attached to it. While four points on its own is not enough to bring entitlement to the daily living component, individuals may also score points in other activities within the assessment, depending on their individual circumstances. Complex verbal information is defined as information conveyed in either more than one sentence or one complicated sentence.
	Entitlement in personal independence payment is based on individual circumstances and the impact of the individual's health condition or impairment, which means we cannot generalise and predict where particular groups of claimants will score points. However, we believe that the assessment will be effective at targeting entitlement in the benefit on those who face the greatest barriers to living an independent life.

Personal Independence Payment

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider exempting dementia patients from the 28 day hospital rule for personal independence payments.

Esther McVey: All publicly funded hospital in-patients are subject to the hospital rules which see both components of personal independence payment suspended after 28 days in hospital. There are no plans to provide for any exemptions to these rules which are intended to prevent duplicate public funding to meet the same needs.

Personal Independence Payment

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the manifestations and nature of dementia in relation to categorising patients for personal independence payments.

Esther McVey: Ministers and officials meet regularly with colleagues in the Department of Health to discuss welfare reform. No specific discussions have taken place with regard to dementia and personal independence payment.
	Entitlement for personal independence payment is not based on having a particular health condition or impairment; rather it involves an assessment of individual need. The assessment considers the impact of the claimant’s health condition or impairment on their ability to carry out key everyday activities.

Personal Independence Payment

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether during the transfer period from disability living allowance to personal independence payments carers will have to make a fresh application for carers allowance once transferred to personal independence payments.

Mark Hoban: During the transfer period from disability living allowance (DLA) to personal independence payment (PIP) carers, who care for a person on the qualifying rate of DLA who is awarded the daily living component of PIP, will not be expected to make a fresh application for carer’s allowance (CA). The daily living component of PIP will act as a gateway for CA for working age recipients from 2013 and DLA will remain a gateway for those who are not working age.

Public Appointments

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: DWP made 21 ministerial public appointments in 2010-11. 24 ministerial public appointments were made in 2011-12. These figures include new appointments and reappointments.
	The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however, this information is not broken down by ethnic group. Information regarding candidates' religion is not collected.
	Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
	http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Redundancy: Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of redundancy on happiness and well-being levels of workers; and what discussions he has had with employers on how to lessen the effects of redundancy on workers' well-being.

Mark Hoban: We have not looked particularly at the impact of redundancy on happiness and well-being levels of workers; or had discussions with employers on how to lessen the effects of redundancy on workers' well-being.
	However we recently published the ‘National Study of Work-search and Wellbeing’, the first national study dedicated to examining the psychological health and well-being of jobseekers allowance (JSA) claimants, involving over 2,000 participants. It found that jobseekers have worse mental health and lower subjective well-being than the rest of the working age population on average. The study found that entering employment can support improvements in mental health.
	Our National Employer Service Team manages redundancy situations involving national employers. We also have a Rapid Response Service Team in every Jobcentre Plus District to deal at a local level with employers facing redundancy situations.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost of each such regulation.

Mark Hoban: 52 statutory instruments were made between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013. The following table lists the instruments, including regulations; along with details of impact assessments, where they have been produced, containing available information on costs. The instruments and any related impact assessments are available on legislation.gov.uk.
	
		
			 SI number Statutory instrument (SI) title—including reference to impact assessment where available Date of making 
			 178 Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 7) Order 30 January 2013 
			 105 Pension Protection Fund and Occupational Pension Schemes (Levy Ceiling and Compensation Cap) Order 21 January 2013 
			 41 Social Security (Information-sharing in relation to Welfare Services etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 14 January 2013 
			 3159 Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 4) Order 20 December 2012 
			 3096 Employment and Support Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 13 December 2012 
			 3090 Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 6 and Savings Provisions) Order 12 December 2012 
			 3083 Pension Protection Fund (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 11 December2012 
			 3048 Disabled People's Right to Control (Pilot Scheme) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 6 December 2012 
			 3042 Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 10 and Transitional Provisions) Order 5 December 2012 
			 3040 Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/3040/pdfs/uksifia_20123040_en.pdf 3 December 2012 
			 3002 Child Support Management of Payments and Arrears (Amendment) Regulations 28 November 2012 
			 2994 Benefit Cap (Housing Benefit) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2994/pdfs/uksifia_20122994_en.pdf 29 November 2012 
			 2952 Occupational Pensions (Revaluation) Order 26 November 2012 
			 2946 Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 5) Order 24 November 2012 
			 2812 Industrial Injuries Benefit (Injuries arising before 5th July 1948) (Amendment) Regulations 8 November 2012 
			 2785 Child Support (Meaning of Child and New Calculation Rules) (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2785/pdfs/uksifia_20122785_en.pdf 2 November 2012 
			 2756 Employment and Support Allowance (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2 November 2012 
			 2743 Industrial Injuries Benefit (Injuries arising before 5th July 1948) Regulations 1 November 2012 
			 2691 Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Automatic Enrolment) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 25 October 2012 
			 2680 Social Security (Credits) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 25 October 2012 
			 2678 Child Support Maintenance (Changes to Basic Rate Calculation and Minimum Amount of Liability) Regulations 23 October 2012 
			 2677 Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 20 October 2012 
			 2587 Social Security (Habitual Residence) (Amendment) Regulations 11 October 2012 
			 2575 Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 11 October 2012 
			 2569 Jobseeker's Allowance (Members of the Forces) (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 10 October 2012 
			 2568 Jobseeker's Allowance (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 10 October 2012 
			 2530 Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No.4) Order 4 October 2012 
			 2523 Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 9) and the Welfare Reform Act 2009 (Commencement No. 9) Order 4 October 2012 
			 2480 Pensions Act 2008 (Commencement No. 14 and Supplementary Provisions) Order http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2480/pdfs/uksifia_20122480_en.pdf 27 September 2012 
			 2380 Child Support (Northern Ireland Reciprocal Arrangements) Amendment Regulations 17 September 2012 
			 2379 Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 17 September 2012 
			 2280 Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 5 September 2012 
			 2007 Public Bodies (Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: Abolition and Transfer of Functions) Order 31 July 2012 
			 1990 Social Security (Civil Penalties) Regulations 25 July 2012 
			 1817 Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations 11 July 2012 
			 1814 Social Fund Maternity Grant Amendment Regulations 11 July 2012 
			 1813 Employers' Duties (Implementation) (Amendment) Regulationshttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1813/pdfs/uksifia_20121813_en.pdf 10 July 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 1811 Occupational Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) (Amendment) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1811/pdfs/uksifia_20121811_en.pdf 11 July 2012 
			 1688 Pension Protection Fund (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1688/pdfs/uksifia_20121688_en.pdf 28 June 2012 
			 1682 Pensions Act 2008 (Commencement No. 13) Order 28 June 2012 
			 1681 Pensions Act 2011 (Commencement No. 3) Order 28 June 2012 
			 1652 Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1652/pdfs/uksifia_20121652_en.pdf 25 June 2012 
			 1651 Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 3, Savings Provision) Order 26 June 2012 
			 1649 Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 8) Order 25 June 2012 
			 1634 Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 20 June 2012 
			 1616 Jobseeker's Allowance (Members of the Reserve Forces) Regulations 20 June 2012 
			 1604 Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 20 June 2012 
			 1574 Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No.3) Order 18 June 2012 
			 1537 Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1537/pdfs/uksifia_20121537_en.pdf 13 June 2012 
			 1506 Automatic Enrolment (Earnings Trigger and Qualifying Earnings Band) Order 14 June 2012 
			 1483 Social Security (Information-sharing in relation to Welfare Services etc.) Regulations 8 June 2012 
			 1477 Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Automatic Enrolment) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1477/pdfs/uksifia_20121477_en.pdf 8 June 2012

Revenue and Customs: Kingston Upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are currently employed at the Tax Credit Office in Hull; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff (a) retained at the site, (b) redeployed to other roles on-site and (c) made redundant with the roll-out of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: Tax credits are delivered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC does not have a tax credits office or any tax credits staff in Hull.

Revenue and Customs: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are employed at the Tax Credit Office in Preston; and how many such staff will be (a) retained at the site, (b) redeployed and (c) made redundant with the roll-out of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: Tax credits are delivered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis.

Mark Hoban: The average level of paid sickness per individual employee was 7.3 days per year at December 2012 reducing from a high of 11.1 days in March 2007.
	DWP do not authorise any sickness absences, they are either self-certified or signed off by a GP. We accept their authorisation and deal with the absence via our policies.
	Where an employee fails to notify the Department of their absence, action may be taken under the unauthorised absence procedures. This may result in the employee's pay being suspended and their employment terminated.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department.

Mark Hoban: DWP has robust absence management policies, procedures and processes in place and has reduced sickness absence levels from a high of 11.1 days in March 2007 to 7.3 days in December 2012. The Department has a sickness absence target of 7.0 days to be achieved by April 2014 and will aim to meet it by:
	Increasing employee awareness of the issue and raising awareness at senior management level;
	Improving management understanding of the Department’s Attendance Management policy;
	Ensuring compliance with the policy;
	Continuously improving the policy to reflect best practice;
	Ensuring quick decisions are taken on the basis of sound medical advice to end the contract of employment where there is no reasonable expectation of a return to work;
	Improving management information;
	Using occupational health creatively;
	Embedding best practice by twinning the best and underperforming units;
	Providing employees with access to a range of support services including employee counselling, physiotherapy and an online well-being programme; and
	Introducing a new occupational sick pay policy for new employees where entitlement is earned over time.

Social Security Benefits

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2013, Official Report, column 457W, on social security benefits: hyperactivity, for what reason benefit advice is not provided in respect of specific medical conditions.

Mark Hoban: It would not be appropriate for DWP staff to provide benefits advice on specific medical conditions as they are not medically trained or qualified to do so.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department is providing to local authorities not included in the benefit cap pilot but which have responsibility for displaced persons moving into addresses outside the pilot boroughs.

Mark Hoban: Jobcentre Plus is working closely with all local authorities to ensure that households impacted by the cap are given help to move into work; access to child care provision; money and budgetary advice; housing options advice and support to negotiate rent reductions with private landlords.
	This includes help for people moving into more affordable addresses outside the phased rollout boroughs. We have provided local authorities with an additional £65 million in 2013-14 to support those affected by the benefit cap.

Social Security Benefits: Motor Neurone Disease

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with motor neurone disease (MND) are in receipt of (a) disability living allowance (DLA) and (b) attendance allowance (AA); how many people with MND successfully claimed DLA and AA via (i) special rules and (ii) ordinary rules in each of the last five years; and how many people with MND were found not to be eligible for an award under special rules for each benefit in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: The information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Disability living allowance (DLA) recipients with a main disabling condition of motor neurone disease 
			 As at February each year Total in payment Of which: are in payment under special rules conditions 
			 2012 2,800 600 
			 2011 2,700 500 
			 2010 2,400 500 
			 2009 2,300 300 
			 2008 2,000 200 
		
	
	
		
			 Attendance allowance (AA) recipients with a main disabling condition of motor neurone disease 
			 As at February each year Total in payment Of which: are in payment under special rules conditions 
			 2012 900 (1)— 
			 2011 900 (1)— 
			 2010 800 (1)— 
			 2009 800 (1)— 
			 2008 700 (1)— 
			 (1) Denotes nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Figures are taken from 5% sample data. They have been uprated to be consistent with WPLS data and are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures of 500 or less are subject to a degree of sampling variation and therefore should be used as a guide only to the correct situation. 3. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes cases where the payment has been suspended e.g. if they are in hospital. 4. All recipients considered under special rules are entitled to the higher rate care component. 5. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. 6. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate, 5% sample. 
		
	
	Data on unsuccessful claims to DLA and AA, by main disabling condition or special rules criteria, is not routinely collected by the Department for Work and Pensions and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are based in each property used by his Department.

Mark Hoban: The information, a breakdown of staff by site/location and by geographical region, will be placed in the House of Commons Library. This also includes staff working in Child Maintenance Group, which joined DWP in August 2012.
	In addressing your question I have used statistical information retrieved from DWP personnel computer systems, which manage over 100,000 staff accounts. This is the latest information available at this time; however as managers input information daily this information is subject to change.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate his Department’s total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations.

Mark Hoban: The Department allocation of staffing is complex and our staffing needs to meet minimum statutory obligations change continually. For that reason, it is not possible to give a figure.

Staff

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff of his Department are employed in Preston constituency; in which locations; and whether he has any plans to make such staff redundant.

Mark Hoban: The Department employs a total of 1,300 people in Preston constituency (data are as at 31 December 2012).
	The following table shows the number of staff employed at each location in Preston constituency:
	
		
			 Location Postcode Number of staff 
			 Barry House PR1 4DE 306 
			 Duchy House PR1 1DD 372 
			 Elizabeth House PR1 1DD 271 
			 Gateway House PR1 2ER 126 
			 Palatine House PR1 1HB 146 
			 Red Rose House PR1 1HB 79 
			 Total  1,300 
		
	
	There are no plans for compulsory redundancies to be made in this area.

State Retirement Pensions

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people qualifying for state pension payments on their birthday in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 received payment of their pension effective from a later date than their birthday;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of savings to the public purse accruing in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 from paying people qualifying for their state pension on their birthday from a date later than their birthday.

Steve Webb: Payment of state pension starts from the first full benefit week that follows the date a person reaches state pension age. State pension is paid in full weeks and this means that for most people there will be a gap between their birthday (when they reach pension age) and the day they receive their first payment of pension. The gap could be anything between one and six days, depending on the person's birthday and their benefit payday.
	If a person's birthday happens to fall on the same day of the week as the first day of their benefit week, there is no gap between that birthday and the first day for which payment is due. For most other people, there will be. However, because we make pension payments in complete weeks, there are no part-week payments at the end of a claim either, when a full week's benefit is also paid and thus the system balances itself out.
	We do not record figures for the total numbers of people affected variously by this rule and the cost of obtaining such figures for 2011 and 2012 would be disproportionately high. Because of this, I am unable to say how much this represents in financial terms.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the revenue likely to be generated by changes in national insurance premiums following the introduction of the single-tier state pension in 2017 in each of the subsequent five financial years.

Steve Webb: The information is in the following table. Decisions on the treatment of revenues from these changes will be taken in due course, in the context of the relevant spending review and budget discussions.
	
		
			 Table: Estimated gross NICs revenues generated by single-tier reform 
			 Financial year £ billion 
			 2017 5.9 
			 2018 5.8 
			 2019 5.6 
			 2020 5.5 
			 2021 5.3 
			 Note: These figures are dependent on a 2017 start date. Numbers have been rounded and are presented in 2012-13 price terms. These figures are DWP estimates and have not yet been certified by the OBR. Source: DWP Modelling.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the value of the single-tier state pension if it was uprated by (a) earnings, (b) the consumer prices index and (c) 2.5 per cent before implementation in 2017;
	(2)  if he will estimate the equivalent value of the single-tier state pension in 2017 if it were to be uprated before that date by (a) earnings, (b) consumer prices index and (c) 2.5 per cent.

Steve Webb: The single-tier pension will be implemented in April 2017 at the earliest, and will be set above the basic level of means-tested support, the pension credit standard minimum guarantee. The final level of the single-tier pension will be set closer to implementation, taking into account the cost implications and the fiscal context at the time.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse following the introduction of the single-tier state pension in 2017 in each of the subsequent 10 financial years.

Steve Webb: The single-tier pension will cost no more than the current system overall. The overall costs for single-tier are broadly in line with expenditure on the current system as a proportion of GDP until the late 2040s. From the late 2040s, the rise in pensions expenditure is slower under the single-tier than under the current system: pensions expenditure is reduced from 8.5% of GDP to 8.1% of GDP by 2060 (according to DWP estimates which have not yet been verified by the OBR).
	The table shows that although single-tier costs less than the current system rolled forward in the first decade, savings in the early years are very small as a percentage of total pensioner benefit spending under the current system modelled forward.
	
		
			 Table: Estimated reduction in pensioner benefits expenditure under single-tier compared with the current system rolled forward 
			  Reduction in expenditure on pensioner benefits (%) 
			 2017 0.0 
			 2018 0.1 
			 2019 0.2 
			 2020 0.2 
			 2021 0.2 
			 2022 0.3 
			 2023 0.3 
			 2024 0.3 
			 2025 0.3 
			 2026 0.2 
			 Source: DWP Long-term projections of expenditure and Pensim2 Modelling.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2013, Official Report, column 510W, on state retirement pensions, what the average protected amount is which would be received by an individual.

Steve Webb: Individuals who have a national insurance record of more than the full single-tier pension at the point of implementation will get the full level of the single-tier pension, and keep any amount above this as a 'protected payment' when they reach state pension age.
	Of those reaching state pension age between 2017 and 2060, the Department's modelling suggests that around 5% would receive a 'protected payment' and that the median value at state pension age would be £6 per week, in 2012-13 earnings terms.
	Protected payments will in general be much large than this when the single-tier pension is first introduced. The average value will decline over this time.
	Source:
	DWP modelling based on PENSIM2

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the White Paper on the single-tier pension, published in January 2013, for what reasons the cost of the single-tier pension as a proportion of gross domestic product is expected to fall in the years 2012 to 2017.

Steve Webb: The Government set out its proposals for a single-tier state pension on 14 January in “The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving”. Under these proposals, the single-tier pension will not be implemented until April 2017 at the earliest. The White Paper does not model any costs for the single-tier pension as a proportion of gross domestic product before 2017.
	Under the current system, the Department estimates that expenditure on pensioner benefits as a percentage of GDP will fall between 2012-13 and 2016-17.
	The principal reason for the reduction in current system spending over the period in question is that women's state pension age increases from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and November 2018, which results in fewer women reaching state pension age each year in the period of interest.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the increases to national insurance contributions which would be required to maintain state pension spending if the new single-tier state pension were to be uprated in line with earnings between 2017 and 2060.

Steve Webb: No increase in national insurance contributions or other revenue would be required.
	The Government has set out in the White Paper, “The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving” that the single-tier pension will be uprated at least in line with earnings.
	The cost estimates in the White Paper and accompanying Impact Assessment show that the proposals are broadly cost neutral, and are based on a model in which the single-tier pension is uprated in line with the triple-lock (the highest of consumer price inflation, earnings growth or 2.5%).

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of moving all current pensioners onto a single-tier state pension from 2017 for the period 2017 to 2060.

Steve Webb: The single-tier pension will deliver a simple and fair state pension set above the basic level of means-tested support, providing clarity and confidence to better support saving for retirement. Providing this platform for saving also underpins automatic enrolment.
	Moreover, the reforms are designed to cost no more than the current system and are not about spending more money on future pensioners, but spending money more effectively to better support saving for retirement. As a consequence, some people will get more under the single-tier reforms than if the current system continued, and some less.
	The Department has estimated the annual cost of moving the pensions of people who reach state pension age before the implementation of single-tier pension to the proposed single-tier level as being around £10 billion in the medium term. Full details are available on the Department's website at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/cost_140_a_week_state_pension.pdf
	Costs would fall over the longer term and would be minimal by 2060.
	Current pensioners remain a priority for Government and we have introduced the triple lock to ensure that the basic state pension rises by at least 2.5% each year. Those who reach state pension age before the reforms are implemented will continue to receive their state pension in line with the existing rules.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse as a percentage of gross domestic product of maintaining the current state pension provision, if that provision was up-rated in line with earnings, for each of the next 40 financial years.

Steve Webb: No such estimate has been made.
	Current projections of long-term expenditure on state pension are based on the assumption that the basic state pension will be uprated in line with the triple lock (the highest of earnings, prices and 2.5% each year) and that Additional Pension payments will be uprated in line with prices.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the draft Pensions Bill, published in January 2013, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of including women born between April 1952 and July 1953 in the new single-tier state pension.

Steve Webb: Around 430,000 women born between 6 April 1952 and 5 July 1953 will reach state pension age between May 2014 and March 2017 and will be aged between 62 and 63 years nine months when they become able to claim their state pension.
	As the proposed single-tier pension will not be implemented until April 2017 at the earliest, they will receive their state pension under the current system. If their state pension age was the same as that of a man born on the same date, then they would reach state pension age at 65, between April 2017 and July 2018 and could be within the scope of the single-tier pension if it was implemented in 2017-18.
	While this group of women will not receive their state pension under the proposed single-tier arrangements, they will be able to claim their state pension between 15 months and three years earlier than a man born on the same date. Because they reach state pension age earlier than a man born the same day, we estimate that they could receive between £10,000 and £18,000 in state pension in the interval between their legislated state pension age and a man's state pension age of 65.
	Not all would be entitled to a full single-tier pension (for example if they have fewer than 35 qualifying years, or have been contracted out of the additional state pension) and not all would necessarily be financially better off under the single-tier pension.
	The costs of extending the single-tier pension to this group of women would depend a great deal on the details of implementation, for example whether they would still be able to claim any pension before the implementation of the single-tier pension, whether access to savings credit would be removed, and whether women for whom single-tier could be less generous would have any choice.

Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Department spent the following on training and education for civil servants in the following periods:
	(a) 2010-11: £12,082,367
	Set against a staffing of 97,963 this equates to £123 per head per annum.
	(b) 2011-12: £8,523,305
	Set against a staffing of 88,626 this equates to £96 per head per annum.
	The reduction in expenditure is a result of continued efficiency savings and the move to cross-Government training provision through Civil Service Learning.

Unemployment: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 355W, on social enterprises, if he will provide details of the 10 social impact bonds intended to tackle youth unemployment, including their geographical coverage; and what progress has been made on each to date.

Mark Hoban: The youth unemployment social impact bond projects will support disadvantaged young people and those at risk of disadvantage aged 14 years and over. The 10 investors and delivery locations are:
	
		
			 Contracting body Delivery locations 
			 APM UK Ltd West Midlands: Birmingham 
			 Stratford Development Partnership East London: Stratford, Canning Town, Royal Docks (Newham), Cathall (Waltham Forest) 
			 Indigo Project Solutions Perthshire and Kinross 
			 Nottingham City Council Nottingham City 
			 Private Equity Foundation East London: Shoreditch 
			 Triodos Bank Greater Merseyside 
			 Prevista London: boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Westminster and Haringey 
			 3SC South Wales: Cardiff and Newport 
			 Social Finance 3 South West England: Bracknell Forest BC, Buckinghamshire CC, Milton Keynes Council Oxfordshire CC, Reading BC, Slough BC, West Berkshire DC, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham BC 
			 Social Finance 4 North West England: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Oldham, Tameside 
		
	
	The Innovation Fund is progressing well. All of the projects have started and a total of around 4,000 disadvantaged young people have started on the programme, with a growing number of positive outcomes recorded. At this time, with the last of the projects only just under way, we do not have a detailed breakdown of performance for each of the 10 projects.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with housing associations on the effect of universal credit on their finances; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: DWP officials have met housing associations and representatives of other landlords regularly to discuss a range of matters linked to the implementation of universal credit and it is intended that these meetings will continue in the future. In addition, several housing associations are directly involved in the direct payment demonstration projects which are influencing the design for universal credit in order to protect landlord revenue.

Vacancies: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time vacancies are available in the Newcastle upon Tyne travel-to-work area, by job type.

Mark Hoban: There were 7,474 live vacancies advertised on Universal Jobmatch in the Tyne Tees Region as of 14 February 2013. We do not hold a breakdown of this information.

Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households whose income will be reduced as a consequence of implementation of the provisions of the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area.

Steve Webb: The data requested are not available due to small sample sizes.

Welfare State: Reform

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of increase in demand for legal aid funded advice services following reform to the welfare system which will take effect from April 2013.

Mark Hoban: The demand for legal aid services are not expected to be impacted significantly with the introduction of universal credit from April 2013 over the short-term. The Department continues to work with the Ministry for Justice to assess the longer term impacts and to ensure consistent provision of service.

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that people who are terminally ill are not (a) inappropriately assessed for benefit entitlement and (b) compelled to undertake mandatory work placements.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Where an individual suffers from a progressive disease and is expected to live for less than six months, they are considered to be terminally ill and are placed immediately into the Support Group of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). On declaring this, they are dealt with under fast track rules which mean their claim must be processed as soon as possible and they are exempt from a face-to-face assessment. These claimants receive the higher rate of benefit immediately.
	Claimants who do not claim under special fast track rules will have their case assessed on paper-based evidence. Processes are in place for health care professionals to request further evidence if required. Claimants with a limited capability for work will be placed in the Support Group.
	(b) ESA claimants in the Support Group are not subject to any work-related requirements but can access employment and health-related support on a voluntary basis.

Work Capability Assessment

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals have been made to the outcome of work capability assessments in each year since 2009.

Mark Hoban: The Department only holds information on appeals once they have been heard by HM Courts and Tribunal Service.
	The Department regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA) including appeal outcomes. The latest report was published in January 2013 and can be found on the internet at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca

Work Capability Assessment

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have ceased to be entitled to incapacity benefit following a work capability assessment in each year since 2009.

Mark Hoban: In January 2013, the Department released an update to the official statistics on incapacity benefit reassessment (IBR). The data covers IBR referrals in the period from March 2011 to May 2012 and includes the number of people found fit-for-work following an incapacity benefit reassessment. The statistics can be found at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr

Work Capability Assessment

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have ceased to be entitled to employment support allowance following a work capability assessment in each year since 2009;
	(2)  how many work capability assessments were undertaken in each year since 2009.

Mark Hoban: In January 2013, the Department released an update to the official statistics on work capability assessments. The statistics can be found at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	These statistics include the number of people found fit-for-work as a result of completing a work capability assessment (WCA) up to August 2012.

Work Capability Assessment

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time is between a successful appeal against a work capability assessment and a further such assessment on an individual.

Mark Hoban: The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics, We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Work Capability Assessment

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on conducting work capability assessments on people who have recently had successful appeals against a change of status following a previous work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: A DWP decision maker decides when the claimant should next be referred for a work capability assessment following a decision by the First-tier tribunal that the claimant has limited capability for work.
	When deciding a re-referral date, the DWP decision maker will consider all the information available to them including, for example, the previous prognosis advice from the Atos Healthcare professional and any factors that the Tribunal have recorded in their decision, including any suggested re-referral date.
	Re-referral dates chosen can be three, six, 12, 18 or 24 months, depending on when it is considered most appropriate for the claimant to have their next contact with the Department.

Work Capability Assessment: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who have been diagnosed as terminally ill have (a) undergone a work capability assessment and (b) been compelled to undertake work placements.

Mark Hoban: Where an individual suffers from a progressive disease and is expected to live for less than six months, they are considered to be terminally ill and are placed immediately into the support group of employment and support allowance (ESA). On declaring this, they are dealt with under fast-track rules which mean their claim must be processed as soon as possible and they are exempt from a face-to-face assessment.
	ESA claimants in the support group are not subject to any work-related requirements, but can access employment and health-related support on a voluntary basis.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether he has received any reports that people on the Work programme classified as being in self-employment have opted for that pathway as a result of coercion;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2013, Official Report, column 404W, on the Work programme, how many investigations have been undertaken into suspected inappropriate Work Programme outcome claims in such circumstances to date.

Mark Hoban: The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by DWP's professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.
	During the course of a recent third party investigation, an allegation was made against a Work programme provider concerning suggestions of duress for jobseekers entering self-employment. No evidence has been identified to substantiate this allegation.
	To date there has been no need to investigate allegations that companies delivering Work programme have encouraged jobseekers to submit fraudulent claims for working tax credit on the basis of non-existent self-employment.

Work Programme

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have found work through the Work programme (a) nationally and (b) in Hull who have a (i) visual impairment, (ii) physical disability sufficient for them to be in the employment and support allowance support category and (iii) mental health condition.

Mark Hoban: Official statistics on Work programme participants who start work is not available.
	Work programme official statistics on job outcomes and sustainment payments are available on the Department’s website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire.

Mark Hoban: In answer to your question, how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire, I can provide you with the following:
	Hull—801
	East Yorkshire (in total including Hull)—is 950 (excluding Hull is 149).
	These figures represent the position as at 31 December 2012 using Office for National Statistics (ONS) definitions.